"
In the light of the shooting-up flame Mrs. Travers could see d'Alcacer's
face. There was no smile on it. She could not remember ever seeing him
so grave and, as it were, so distant. She abandoned Lingard's arm and
moved closer to the fire.
"I fancy you were very far away, Mr. d'Alcacer," she said.
"This is the sort of freedom of which nothing can deprive us," he
observed, looking hard at the manner in which the scarf was drawn across
Mrs. Travers' face. "It's possible I was far away," he went on, "but I
can assure you that I don't know where I was. Less than an hour ago we
had a great excitement here about some rockets, but I didn't share in
it. There was no one I could ask a question of. The captain here was,
I understood, engaged in a most momentous conversation with the king or
the governor of this place."
He addressed Lingard, directly. "May I ask whether you have reached any
conclusion as yet? That Moor is a very dilatory person, I believe."
"Any direct attack he would, of course, resist," said Lingard. "And, so
far, you are protected. But I must admit that he is rather angry with
me. He's tired of the whole business. He loves peace above anything in
the world. But I haven't finished with him yet."
"As far as I understood from what you told me before," said Mr.
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