I disliked
and mistrusted these fellows from the first. Didn't you understand?"
"Yes; I did keep out of sight," she said.
A silence fell. At last Heyst stirred slightly.
"All this is of very little importance now," he said with a sigh.
"This is a question of something infinitely worse than mere looks and
thoughts, however base and contemptible. As I have told you, I met
Ricardo's suggestions by silence. As I was turning away he said:
"'If you happen to have the key of that store-room of yours on you,
Mr. Heyst, you may just as well let me have it; I will give it to our
Pedro.'
"I had it on me, and I tendered it to him without speaking. The hairy
creature was at the door by then, and caught the key, which Ricardo
threw to him, better than any trained ape could have done. I came away.
All the time I had been thinking anxiously of you, whom I had left
asleep, alone here, and apparently ill."
Heyst interrupted himself, with a listening turn of his head. He had
heard the faint sound of sticks being snapped in the compound. He rose
and crossed the room to look out of the back door.
"And here the creature is," he said, returning to the table. "Here he
is, already attending to the fire. Oh, my dear Lena!"
She had followed him with her eyes. She watched him go out on the front
veranda cautiously. He lowered stealthily a couple of screens that hung
between the column, and remained outside very still, as if interested
by something on the open ground.
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