“It was clear to me at once,” she said, “that I had better not meet you as a friend.  They probably knew we both came down on the Hatteras, but that’s no reason for our being acquainted.”

“And now we must be casual acquaintances—­if your work would prosper,” Bedient said.

“I suppose so.”

“The more I think of it, the plainer it becomes that I’ve sort of disorganized Rey and his intimates.  It really is odd for me to be here——­”

Miss Mallory searched his face in her keen, swift way.

“When I came to understand at all,” she said, “I didn’t expect to see you here....  It isn’t about the war, is it?”

“No,” he replied.  Then it occurred to him that she might meet the man he wished to see, and he added:  “I have a message for a man named Framtree.  Senor Rey apparently thinks this man would not be safe in my hands.  At least, I’m not allowed to see him alone——­”

“And he’s here?”

“Yes, I’m sure of that.”

“I haven’t met anyone of that name.”

“You couldn’t mistake.  In my opinion, Miss Mallory, he’s easily the best-looking man on the Island.”

“I’m sure I haven’t met him."...  She hesitated, smiling-queerly.  “But if I should, is there any way I can help you?”

“Not by speaking to him about me.  That would yoke you with my fortunes.”

“How, then?”

Her eagerness appealed to him.  “If you could tell me at any time just where I might find this Framtree—­yes, that would help,” he said, with a laugh.

“I’d be proud to help you in any way....  It’s the most fascinating place I’ve ever been in,” she added with an effort.  “I haven’t heard a thing about war, but the whole establishment is buzzing with conspiracies and mystery.  There isn’t any rest.  Everyone is afraid of his neighbor; no one trusts himself to fall asleep in peace, for fear someone will pry his secret away—­a terrible atmosphere—­but what an adventure if it breaks into war before my eyes....  And I’ve met the Glow-worm——­”

Her whole manner changed for an instant.  Miss Mallory was now an emancipated creature, living to the very rim of her being.  She belonged to the tropics, and was playing a game all spiced with enchantments....  Bedient remembered what Captain Carreras had said about the Glow-worm, on the day of his first coming to Equatoria.  The story attached was that Celestino Rey had found this woman among the red lights of Buenos Aires, and had forced her to come with him.  Bedient was not particularly interested, but Miss Mallory’s study of the hidden-flamed creature, Senora Rey, and what she told him, adjusted easily to what he had already heard of the woman from South America.

“She’s pure mother-earth and nothing besides,” Miss Mallory went on.  “Olive skin, yellow eyes with languid lids, lazy gestures, and a regal head of yellow hair.  Something about her suggests that she might turn into an explosive at certain contacts, but she’s horribly afraid.  It really gives one a thrill to hear her speak of South America.  She fondles the syllables and points strangely over her shoulder, at every mention of her land.  She’s dying the slow terrible death of nostalgia——­”