Not fathoming, as with a singular intuition I had fathomed, the
profound purposes of the Dutchman, Signet saw only the implied promise
in his words.--The trader broke out once more with a sardonic and
calculated spleen:
"But, no! Obstacles! A sniveling little animal sees only obstacles. The
obstacle not to be mounted over--those three husbands. There they lie
tonight on Nakokai's platform--this beautiful, incredible 'Queen
Daughter'--this gold goddess of the 'Shame Dance'--and about her those
three husbands. Ah, my dear sir, but their big, lithe muscles! That is
too much! To imagine them leaping up at the alarm in the moonlight, the
overpowering and faithful husbands. No, he cannot put out his hand to
take the gift. _Pah!_ He is a criminal in nature, but he is afraid of
the police, even here. He is not a man for the big life in these
islands. He will never do anything. Those faithful, strong watch-dogs of
husbands! Those strong, destructive muscles! Dear, good God, that is too
much to think of--Look, my dear sir!"
He was speaking to me, as if Signet were less than the very pebbles at
the step. He got up, striking the floor heavily with his boots, and I
followed him into the house, where he took a lighted candle from a
stand. Buried in our shadows, silent footed, Signet pursued us as the
trader had meant him to do.
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