- Vincento Perez, the governor of the Portuguese colony of Exile, is an unscrupulous and brutal man who is hated by the natives. Furthering his schemes, Perez tries to force silk dealers out of business, and reveals his plans to government engineer Richmond Harvey in a letter appealing for the American's help. The engineer threatens to expose the plot and Perez, facing ruin and death, sends his wife Claudia to Harvey to offer herself in exchange for the letter. In Harvey's bungalow, Claudia confesses her love for the American who, refusing to take advantage of the situation, offers her the letter. She returns to her husband, only to meet with humiliation. After much abuse, the natives finally rebel against the governor who is lynched by the mob. Claudia is rescued by Harvey and the two face a happy future together.
- In faraway "Exile," a Portuguese colony, Richmond Hervey, an American engineer, has made great changes in the desolate colony, making it habitable for the white people by systems of electric lighting and water supply. Hervey is working for Government is the Lord Chief Justice of the colony. Vincento Perez, who holds the power of life and death over many thousands of Arabs. Perez is unscrupulous and brutal in his dealings with the natives, and at the opening of the story is trying to force the local silk dealers out of business to further his own ends. Several times he has sentenced innocent men to death or imprisonment for this purpose. As he needs more money to carry out his plans, Perez writes to Hervey, thinking that he will have no more scruples about his dealings with the Arabs than himself, and exposes his whole treacherous dealings with the silk merchants. Hervey has never quite trusted Perez and has disliked Claudia, Perez's beautiful wife, for her seeming coldness. He realizes then, that with this letter he has the power to ruin Perez and crush Claudia at a single blow, by exposing Perez's infamy. He therefore writes Perez that he is not that sort of a scoundrel and threatens to expose the plot. The threat completely overwhelms Perez, who sees the end of his office as well as financial ruin staring him in the face. Perez creeps back home that night, fearing the vengeance of the natives, and informs Claudia, telling her that she must go to Hervey and offer him anything in her power to get the letter. When Claudia makes the offer to Hervey, he sees that at last his moment of triumph over her has arrived, and tells her that in her gift there lies the only bribe he will accept, giving her twenty-four hours to think it over. The following day passes and Claudia goes to Hervey's bungalow. A sumptuous dinner is served and Hervey is struck by her entire absence of fear, and believes that she plans to shoot him. At the end of the dinner she goes to her room, but gives him the key. It is then only that Hervey's eyes are opened to the fact that although the woman was only carrying out her bargain, she was very genuinely in love with him, and he tells her that he will not take advantage of the situation. He gives her her husband's incriminating letter, which she returns next day to Perez telling him that of course he has forfeited all right to her respect and that she intends leaving him. The man tries to make her submit by a humiliating scene before the servants, but she makes good her escape. The next day the Arabs rise against Perez and he is lynched by the furious natives. Hervey arrives only barely in time to save Claudia's life, for at the last moment she has rushed to the help of her husband. The last scene shows them listening together to the diminishing sounds of the Arabs as the angry mob disperses, safe in the knowledge of their further inseparable happiness.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content