Maugham's story begins with Leslie killing Hammond, and ends with her destroying her husband Robert. Leslie's character is a contradiction. She makes lace and keeps a pistol with her for protection. She can charm almost anyone, except for Joyce it seems who represents the bridge between her and her fate. What we find from this journey is that Leslie is able to manipulate everyone in order to have her freedom. Joyce himself is manipulated into aiding her in suppressing the letter that will have her put away, or even hanged.
Joyce believes that he is protecting his friend, when in reality he is crushing him by not telling him the full extent of the truth. By doing so, Robert's fantasy marriage is destroyed, and along with it his lifetime of savings and the opportunity to have a dream job working for himself. The beautiful tropic life that these characters exist in now becomes a haunting prison. Robert and Leslie will continue to live in the bungalow where Leslie killed her lover and destroyed their future.
Maugham creates a world that we can envision for years to come as this couple's happiness has been shattered. We understand that true friendship is not keeping the truth from someone in order to protect their heart, or because it's the "wise" thing to do for everyone. Joyce's wisdom turns into cold steel when he learns his $10,000 is at risk of being thrown away for purchasing the letter. He immediately tells Robert what happened. Thus, there is no price anyone can pay that can blot out the truth, and real love is not a lack of pain, but the presence of trust.
