I remarked that
I really did not want a servant. I couldn't think of depriving them of
their man's services; but they would not hear me. They had made up their
minds.
"'We shall send him over at once,' Ricardo said, 'to start cooking
dinner for everybody. I hope you won't mind me coming to eat it with
you in your bungalow; and we will send the governor's dinner over to him
here.'
"I could do nothing but hold my tongue or bring on a quarrel--some
manifestation of their dark purpose, which we have no means to resist.
Of course, you may remain invisible this evening; but with that
atrocious-brute prowling all the time at the back of the house, how long
can your presence be concealed from these men?"
Heyst's distress could be felt in his silence. The girl's head,
sustained by her hands buried in the thick masses of her hair, had a
perfect immobility.
"You are certain you have not been seen so far?" he asked suddenly.
The motionless head spoke.
"How can I be certain? You told me you wanted me to keep out of the way.
I kept out of the way. I didn't ask your reason. I thought you didn't
want people to know that you had a girl like me about you."
"What? Ashamed?" cried Heyst.
"It isn't what's right, perhaps--I mean for you--is it?"
Heyst lifted his hands, reproachfully courteous.
"I look upon it as so very much right that I couldn't bear the idea of
any other than sympathetic, respectful eyes resting on you.
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