Page:'Twixt land and sea - tales (IA twixtlandseatale00conr).pdf/234

 know it’s about the worst sort of pain there is? Dogs have been known to go mad with it.”

“He certainly seemed to have gone mad,” Freya said with an effort, as if she were struggling with some hidden feeling.

But her father was launched.

“And you know how he is. He notices everything. He is a fellow to take offence for the least little thing regular Dutchmanand I want to keep friendly with him. It's like this, my girl: if that rajah of ours were to do something sillyand you know he is a sulky, rebellious beggarand the authorities took into their heads that my influence over him wasn’t good, you would find yourself without a roof over your head"

She cried: “What nonsense, father!” in a not very assured tone, and discovered that he was angry, angry enough to achieve irony; yes, old Nelson (or Nielsen), irony! Just a gleam of it.

“Oh, of course, if you have means of your owna mansion, a plantation that I know nothing of” But he was not capable of sustained irony. “I tell you they would bundle me out of here,” he whispered forcibly; “without compensation, of course, I know these Dutch. And the lieutenant’s just the fellow to start the trouble going. He has the ear of influential officials. I wouldn't offend him for anythingfor anythingon no consideration whatever. What did you say?”

It was only an inarticulate exclamation. If she ever had a half-formed intention of telling him everything she had given if up now. It was impossible, both out