Travers."
Lingard didn't know how to take it. He imagined himself to have been
guilty of some sort of presumption. But how on earth was he to call the
man? After all he was her husband. That idea was disagreeable to him
because the man was also inimical in a particularly unreasonable and
galling manner. At the same time he was aware that he didn't care a
bit for his enmity and had an idea that he would not have cared for his
friendship either. And suddenly he felt very much annoyed.
"Yes. That's the man I mean," he said in a contemptuous tone. "I don't
particularly like the name and I am sure I don't want to talk about him
more than I can help. If he hadn't been your husband I wouldn't have put
up with his manners for an hour. Do you know what would have happened to
him if he hadn't been your husband?"
"No," said Mrs. Travers. "Do you, Captain Lingard?"
"Not exactly," he admitted. "Something he wouldn't have liked, you may
be sure."
"While of course he likes this very much," she observed. Lingard gave an
abrupt laugh.
"I don't think it's in my power to do anything that he would like," he
said in a serious tone. "Forgive me my frankness, Mrs. Travers, but he
makes it very difficult sometimes for me to keep civil. Whatever I have
had to put up with in life I have never had to put up with contempt.
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