Of course Miss May had no means of knowing what was in my mind. She therefore waved her hand to Wesson as soon as she recognized his face and on coming nearer gave him a cordial welcome.
"Well, this is a surprise!" he exclaimed, glancing from one of us to the other. "You did not tell me you intended to stop at St. Thomas and I supposed you still on the Madiana."
"How comes it you are here, yourself?" I asked, pointedly. "I do not recollect that you expressed any intention of leaving the boat."
"Did I not?" he asked, as if surprised. "I could have sworn I did until you spoke. I certainly made you talk about this island, for hours at a time, and I thought you understood it. I feel almost as well acquainted with Mr. Eggert and his family, through your descriptions, as if I had actually been here before. Being an early riser I inquired the way this morning, at the Hotel du Commerce, and walked out to see the place you had made so attractive. One of the darkies let me in at the gate, and here I am."
It was plain enough now. He had supposed I understood his intention, though he had never, I was sure, put the statement into words. He had as much right there as I, if it came to that. There was really no reason why I should treat him uncivilly.
Miss May went on to her room and I waited a moment before going to mine.
"Now you are here," I said, "you will of course take breakfast with me--or at least coffee, if you are in too much haste to wait longer."
"I'm not in the least haste," he responded, "and I accept your invitation with great pleasure."
"I've found an old friend here, Mr. Eggert," I said, as that individual appeared in a doorway. "We came on the Madiana together."
Asking Eggert to entertain him for a little while I went to dress. Miss May heard me come in and spoke through the thin partition between our rooms.
"You didn't act overjoyed to see Mr. Wesson," she said.
"No. He's a sort of 'third person makes a crowd,' you know."
"You're a selfish fellow. But wasn't that bath delightful!"
"Perfection. Did I overstate it, when I described it to you yesterday?"
Then followed sounds which indicated that the finger was being placed in her mouth to assuage the pain.
"What a pity you are not a girl!" she said, a little later. "You could help dress me and save a lot of trouble."