\"Iamstupid，\"whisperedMrs。Traverstoherself，withacompleteandreassuringconviction。Yetshewaitedmotionlesstillthefootstepsofthetwomenstoppedoutsidethedeckhouse，thenseparatedanddiedaway，beforeshewentoutondeck。Shecameoutondecksometimeafterherhusband。Asifinintendedcontrasttotheconflictsofmenagreataspectofserenitylayuponallvisiblethings。Mr。TravershadgoneinsidetheCageinwhichhereallylookedlikeacaptiveandthoroughlyoutofplace。D’Alcacerhadgoneinthere，too，buthepreserved——orwasitanillusion？——anairofindependence。Itwasnotthatheputiton。LikeMr。Travershesatinawickerarmchairinverymuchthesameattitudeastheothergentlemanandalsosilent；buttherewassomewhereasubtledifferencewhichdidawaywiththenotionofcaptivity。Moreover，d’Alcacerhadthatpeculiargiftofneverlookingoutofplaceinanysurroundings。Mrs。Travers，inordertosaveherEuropeanbootsforactiveservice，hadbeenpersuadedtouseapairofleathersandalsalsoextractedfromthatseaman’schestinthedeckhouse。Anadditionalfasteninghadbeenputonthembutshecouldnotavoidmakingadelicateclatterasshewalkedonthedeck。Nopartofhercostumemadeherfeelsoexotic。Italsoforcedhertoalterherusualgaitandmovewithquick，shortstepsverymuchlikeImmada。
\"Iamrobbingthegirlofherclothes，\"shehadthoughttoherself，\"besidesotherthings。\"Sheknewbythistimethatagirlofsuchhighrankwouldneverdreamofwearinganythingthathadbeenwornbysomebodyelse。
AttheslightnoiseofMrs。Travers’sandalsd’Alcacerlookedoverthebackofhischair。ButheturnedhisheadawayatonceandMrs。Travers，leaningherelbowontherailandrestingherheadonthepalmofherhand，lookedacrossthecalmsurfaceofthelagoon，idly。
ShewasturningherbackontheCage，thefore—partofthedeckandtheedgeofthenearestforest。Thatgreaterectionofenormoussolidtrunks，dark，ruggedcolumnsfestoonedwithwrithingcreepersandsteepedingloom，wassoclosetothebankthatbylookingoverthesideoftheshipshecouldseeinvertedintheglassybeltofwateritsmassiveandblackreflectiononthereflectedskythatgavetheimpressionofaclearblueabyssseenthroughatransparentfilm。Andwhensheraisedhereyesthesameabysmalimmobilityseemedtoreignoverthewholesun—bathedenlargementofthatlagoonwhichwasoneofthesecretplacesoftheearth。Shefeltstronglyherisolation。Shewassomuchtheonlybeingofherkindmovingwithinthismysterythateventoherselfshelookedlikeanapparitionwithoutrightsandwithoutdefenceandthatmustendbysurrenderingtothoseforceswhichseemedtoherbuttheexpressionoftheunconsciousgeniusoftheplace。Herswasthemostcompleteloneliness，chargedwithacatastrophictension。Itlayaboutherasthoughshehadbeensetapartwithinamagiccircle。Itcutoff——butitdidnotprotect。
Thefootstepsthatsheknewhowtodistinguishaboveallothersonthatdeckwereheardsuddenlybehindher。Shedidnotturnherhead。