On one of his many voyages, he had once shot a man in order to quell a mutiny; he had not killed him it is true, but he had disabled him for the time--he had handled many a rough customer in his day.

The case, he thought, was similar, for it was the case of self-defence.

The law, even, would say he was justified.

But to slay a man in self-defence and then to marry his widow, though justifiable in law, is a very delicate case for the conscience; and in spite of the wandering life he had led, Mr.Juxon's conscience was sensitive.

He was an honest man and a gentleman, he had tried all his life to do right as he saw it, and did not mean to turn murderer now, no matter how easy it would be for him to defend his action.
At the end of an hour he had decided that it would be murder, and no less, to let Stamboul track Goddard to his hiding-place.