Slowly a complete darkness enveloped Geoffrey Renouard.

His resolution had failed him.

Instead of following Felicia into the house, he had stopped under the three palms, and leaning against a smooth trunk had abandoned himself to a sense of an immense deception and the feeling of extreme fatigue.

This walk up the hill and down again was like the supreme effort of an explorer trying to penetrate the interior of an unknown country, the secret of which is too well defended by its cruel and barren nature.

Decoyed by a mirage, he had gone too far--so far that there was no going back.