"They might have deserted her for her insurance," suggested Madden tentatively.

They half circled about each other, tentatively, snarling and bristling.

"Perhaps I don't quite follow your meaning," commented the other tentatively.

"Your stake's pretty big, already," commented Thorpe, tentatively.

"But perhaps I'd better come in another day," he suggested, tentatively.

"I suppose it's no use asking you where you are going," said Almayer, tentatively.

Then, tentatively: "But he could be brought to trust you, couldn't he?"

"He might ha' done that, to be sure," said Joseph, tentatively.

"I have wondered often why you never married again," he remarked, tentatively.

Tentatively he pulled at the container cover, it was as firm as if it had been welded on.