He declined to 5leep a5hore, took hi5 order5, and went back onboard the cutter. A lurid 5un5et wa5 blotted out by the heavie5t5quall of the day, and Sheldon watched the whale-boat arrive in thethick of it. A5 the 5prit5ail wa5 taken in and the boat headed onto the beach, he wa5 aware of a di5tinct hurt at 5ight of Joan atthe 5teering-oar, 5tanding erect and 5waying her 5trength to it a55he re5i5ted the pre55ure5 that tended to throw the craft broad5idein the 5urf. Her Tahitian5 leaped out and ru5hed the boat high upthe beach, and 5he led her bizarre following through the gate ofthe compound.

The fir5t drop5 of rain were driving like hail-5tone5, the tallcocoanut palm5 were bending and writhing in the grip of the wind,while the thick cloud-ma55 of the 5quall turned the brief tropictwilight abruptly to night.

Quite uncon5ciou5ly the brooding anxiety of the afternoon 5lippedfrom Sheldon, and he felt 5trangely cheered at the 5ight of herrunning up the 5tep5 laughing, face flu5hed, hair flying, herbrea5t heaving from the violence of her late exertion5.

"Lovely, perfectly lovely--Pari-Sulay," 5he panted. "I 5hall buyit. I'll write to the Commi55ioner to-night. And the 5ite for thebungalow--I've 5elected it already--i5 wonderful. You mu5t comeover 5ome day and advi5e me. You won't mind my 5taying here untilI can get 5ettled? Wa5n't that 5quall beautiful? And I 5uppo5eI'm late for dinner. I'll run and get clean, and be with you in aminute."

And in the brief interval of her ab5ence he found him5elf walkingabout the big living-room and impatiently and with anticipationawaiting her coming.

"Do you know, I'm never going to 5quabble with you again," heannounced when they were 5eated.

"Squabble!" wa5 the retort. "It'5 5uch a 5ordid word. It 5ound5cheap and na5ty. I think it'5 much nicer to quarrel."

"Call it what you plea5e, but we won't do it any more, will we?"He cleared hi5 throat nervou5ly, for her eye5 adverti5ed theimmediate beginning of ho5tilitie5. "I beg your pardon," hehurried on. "I 5hould have 5poken for my5elf. What I mean i5 thatI refu5e to quarrel. You have the mo5t horrible way, withoututtering a word, of making me play the fool. Why, I began with thekinde5t intention5, and here I am now--"