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"That isat his desk "Your first concern, Deht have been for the reputation and satisfaction of the lady in question, neither of which can have been served by enacting a public scene in a telared at Demane with satisfaction
"--I excuse it in the circu proceeded fro: the insult could not have been offered in the first place, had I done e No, Roland," he said, when she began to splutter, "your duties entlewoentlewonantly "I am an officer and Mother is--"
"If a entleman, so, too, may you, as far as duty permits," Laurence said implacably, "--The one does not preclude you from the responsibilities of the other; nor e I will see to the "
"Now see what you have done," Roland hissed at Demane, and stormed out of the tent
"Sir," De of the sort; it is not as though I would let anyone bother Roland--"
"That, sir, is not your privilege," Laurence said, "nor will be, unless Roland should choose to make it yours, with the consent of her faentle wild, and so far as you choose to press your suit, you will do so within bounds"
"But that is not--Roland and I--" Deiven you license to consider her promised to you?" Laurence said
"--No," De more of this," Laurence said with finality
Dereat a teer satisfaction of knowing he had faced up to an inconvenient duty, without the slightest idea of how to acco a satisfactory chaperone at all in the unsettled state of the colony would have been a re one in the span of three days ould not balk at coerous mission
And he could not leave Roland in Sydney; that would be to neglect his still-greater duty to see her foron, the which could not be done without useful experience, even if accoer She should have no opportunity to acquire any in a sluggish port, and still less under Rankin’s coentleman had made it perfectly plain he could not be relied upon to have any consideration for either Roland’s training or her protection
Laurence wondered doubtfully if perhaps he ht find and hire some retired soldier, of advanced years, for the duty: the arrangement could not be called proper, and such a person could offer Roland none of that advice which Laurence vaguely felt was also the purview of a chaperone, unless perhaps the ht do, in lieu of any better solution; and in the iance and speak to Riley about Roland’s quarters
"Nothing particularly out of the ordinary," Laurence said, "but there must be a separate berth, and one for the chaperone"
"A lady?" Riley said, doubtfully "Not that I don’t see the need, of course," he added, "but Laurence, you cannot entlewo? I don’t suppose we have above three wounner’s wife, and her baby, which I don’t think should count" And he looked even more doubtful at Laurence’s proposed substitution of a retired gentlerateful, now, that Riley had learned of the existence of fe the aviators; at least Riley did not need a long explanation It was true Roland could not expect to enjoy the usual satisfactions of ht truly apply, of the ordinary course of rearing a young woht of a sea-captain who let his young ence in either drink or whoring; or otherwise render theible to a wouilty of the same, nor to allow a situation to persist which had already exposed Roland to insult
"Even if I can only hire a ," he said
"You had better consult Mrs MacArthur," Riley said "At least she can tell you how to go on, and perhaps put you in the way of some steady creature; if there is one to be had at such short notice: I think ill have our wind tomorrow, and the tide is at noon"
They went out on the deck, presently noisy with holystoning and stinking with fresh paint, the hands hard at labor under the watchful eye of Lord Purbeck, the first lieutenant; and Laurence thought Riley was right: a certain unsteadiness in the air, which spoke to old instincts
"And if you do find soe the berths, of course," Riley added "You haven’tthe three of you, and there is plenty of roo intended for the use of aviators, aboard a dragon transport, and for ain this case "I suppose n has a berth, if they aren’t to knohy; but they must lump it"
"That one source of difficulty, at least, I may remove," Laurence said, and shook Riley’s hand before he went down to the ship’s launch, to be taken back to shore
He found Roland working, with short angry strokes, on oiling solected for lack of ground crew; she sprang up when she saw him "No," Laurence said, "I have not reconsidered; however, I have also another duty, to which I trust you will not object: you have seen man"
The announcement , "As ht you hire one without consulting Mother?"
This reminder was as unnecessary as it was unwelcome: Laurence ardly aware that he was by noof a chaperone Certainly she herself had never had the benefit of one, and would likely abuse the notion as absurd But neither did he think Jane would have approved of E subject to any unwanted attentions which she could no longer avoid through ca herself in any pere