On landing, they
had another violent row in the German language. But there was no second
fight; and finally, with looks of fierce animosity, they got together
into a gharry--obviously with the frugal view of sharing expenses--and
drove away, leaving an astonished little crowd of Europeans and natives
on the quay.
After hearing this wondrous tale, Davidson went away from the hotel
veranda, which was filling with Schomberg's regular customers. Heyst's
escapade was the general topic of conversation. Never before had that
unaccountable individual been the cause of so much gossip, he judged.
No! Not even in the beginnings of the Tropical Belt Coal Company when
becoming for a moment a public character was he the object of a silly
criticism and unintelligent envy for every vagabond and adventurer in
the islands. Davidson concluded that people liked to discuss that sort
of scandal better than any other.
I asked him if he believed that this was such a great scandal after all.
"Heavens, no!" said that excellent man who, himself, was incapable of
any impropriety of conduct. "But it isn't a thing I would have done
myself; I mean even if I had not been married."
There was no implied condemnation in the statement; rather something
like regret. Davidson shared my suspicion that this was in its essence
the rescue of a distressed human being.
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