“Who was the—­lady?”

“The wife of my colonel, Mrs. Costobell.”

“Oh!”

Long afterwards he remembered the agony of that moment, and winced even at the remembrance.  But he had decided upon a fixed policy, and he was not a man to flinch from consequences.  Miss Deane must be taught to despise him, else, God help them both, she might learn to love him as he now loved her.  So, blundering towards his goal as men always blunder where a woman’s heart is concerned, he blindly persisted in allowing her to make such false deductions as she chose from his words.

Iris was the first to regain some measure of self-control.

“I am glad you have been so candid, Captain Anstruther,” she commenced, but he broke in abruptly—­

“Jenks, if you please, Miss Deane.  Robert Jenks.”

There was a curious light in her eyes, but he did not see it, and her voice was marvelously subdued as she continued—­

“Certainly, Mr. Jenks.  Let me be equally explicit before we quit the subject.  I have met Mrs. Costobell.  I do not like her.  I consider her a deceitful woman.  Your court-martial might have found a different verdict had its members been of her sex.  As for Lord Ventnor, he is nothing to me.  It is true he asked my father to be permitted to pay his addresses to me, but my dear old dad left the matter wholly to my decision, and I certainly never gave Lord Ventnor any encouragement.  I believe now that Mrs. Costobell lied, and that Lord Ventnor lied, when they attributed any dishonorable action to you, and I am glad that you beat him in the Club.  I am quite sure he deserved it.”

Not one word did this strange man vouchsafe in reply.  He started violently, seized the axe lying at his feet, and went straight among the trees, keeping his face turned from Iris so that she might not see the tears in his eyes.

As for the girl, she began to scour her cooking utensils with much energy, and soon commenced a song.  Considering that she was compelled to constantly endure the company of a degraded officer, who had been expelled from the service with ignominy, she was absurdly contented.  Indeed, with the happy inconsequence of youth, she quickly threw all care to the winds, and devoted her thoughts to planning a surprise for the next day by preparing some tea, provided she could surreptitiously open the chest.

CHAPTER VII

SURPRISES

Before night closed their third day on the island Jenks managed to construct a roomy tent-house, with a framework of sturdy trees selected on account of their location.  To these he nailed or tied crossbeams of felled saplings; and the tarpaulins dragged from the beach supplied roof and walls.  It required the united strength of Iris and himself to haul into position the heavy sheet that topped the structure, whilst he was compelled to desist from active building operations in order to fashion a rough ladder.  Without some such contrivance he could not get the topmost supports adjusted at a sufficient height.