"Old Miguel is something like Galahad," Kit said quietly, although a touch of colour came to his skin. "Believes in his saints and keeps his rules. As trustful as a child, polite as a Spanish hidalgo, and brave as a lion! One does meet some fine gentlemen. Jefferson's another."
Olivia said nothing, but on the whole she agreed. Although Jefferson had some drawbacks and Kit's were numerous, their puritanical sincerity had charm. As a rule she had not found the type polite, but Kit was getting sophisticated. His touch of colour indicated this.
"I expect you are going back on board _Mossamedes_?" she said by and by.
"For another run. After that I don't know," Kit replied.
He did not know and was rather disturbed. When he was going to Mrs. Austin's he met Don Ramon, who stopped him.
"Has Wolf talked about his future plans?" the manager asked.
Kit said Wolf had not, and Don Ramon resumed:
"You see, the charter does not run long, and _Mossamedes_ is an expensive boat for the Morocco trade."
Kit had thought this and was bothered about something else. He wondered whether Don Ramon knew about the cartridges. In a way, perhaps, the thing was not important, since the quantity was small, but Kit thought Don Ramon ought to know. Yet so long as he took Wolf's pay he was Wolf's man.
"Before you sailed on your last voyage I sent you a message," Olivia resumed.
"But this was all. You thought I exaggerated?"
"No," said Kit. "You stated Wolf meant to use Captain Revillon. Well, I thought I saw his object."
"In a way perhaps----" Kit agreed and stopped.
Olivia laughed. "You are very staunch. In fact, you have a number of qualities one does not at first expect. All the same, I don't think you ought to go to Africa often."
She was sincere, because she instinctively distrusted Wolf, but she wanted to keep Kit about Las Palmas; to some extent because Jacinta had planned to send him away. She did not know if she wanted him to stop for good. His firmness intrigued her, she liked his honesty and his physical attraction was strong. Sometimes she hesitated and sometimes resisted. Olivia was calculating rather than romantic, and frankly did not see herself marrying a steamship _sobrecargo_.
"I must go for another voyage," Kit replied. "I have engaged to go, and for another thing, Mrs. Austin got me the post. I want her to think I'm making good. It's obvious I owe her much."