“Then you do really care”, said Cynthia in a quieter tone.  “That is all I want to know!  I want to be with you, and see you every hour and every minute.  I can’t help saying it, though it is really very undignified for me to be making love to you.  I did many silly things on earth, but never anything quite so feeble as that!”

I felt myself fairly bewildered by the situation.  My psychology did not seem to help me; and here at least was something to love and rescue.  I will say frankly that, in my stupidity and superiority, I did not really think of loving Cynthia in the way in which she needed to be loved.  She was to me, with all my grave concerns and problems, as a charming and intelligent child, with whom I could not even speak of half the thoughts which absorbed me.  So I just held her in my arms, and comforted her as best I could; but what to do and where to bestow her I could not tell.  I saw that her time to leave the place of desire had come, but what she could turn to I could not conceive.

Suddenly I looked up, and saw Lucius approaching, evidently in a very angry mood.

“So this is the end of all our amusement?” he said, as he came near.  “You bring Cynthia here in your tiresome, condescending way, you live among us like an almighty prig, smiling gravely at our fun, and then you go off when it is convenient to yourself; and then, when you want a little recreation, you come and sit here in a corner and hug your darling, when you have never given her a thought of late.  You know that is true,” he added menacingly.

“Yes,” I said, “it is true!  I went of my own will, and I have come back of my own will; and you have all been out of my thoughts, because I have had much work to do.  But what of that?  Cynthia wants me and I have come back to her, and I will do whatever she desires.  It is no good threatening me, Lucius—­there is nothing you can do or say that will have the smallest effect on me.”

“We will see about that,” said Lucius.  “None of your airs here!  We are peaceful enough when we are respectfully and fairly treated, but we have our own laws, and no one shall break them with impunity.  We will have no half-hearted fools here.  If you come among us with your damned missionary airs, you shall have what I expect you call the crown of martyrdom.”

He whistled loud and shrill.  Half-a-dozen men sprang from the bushes and flung themselves upon me.  I struggled, but was overpowered, and dragged away.  The last sight I had was of Lucius standing with a disdainful smile, with Cynthia clinging to his arm; and to my horror and disgust she was smiling too.

XXVII