hard as i stared at her, the glance that she shot back at me matched my own. i never want to see such loathing, such contempt, such scorn on a human countenance again—much less on her sweet face. it cut me to the heart. conscious of my own innocence of wrong and unaware of the excellence of my acting, i could not understand it for a moment. that she had so far believed my own words against her knowledge of my character and the memory of my long, devoted, faithful service, confounded me. i was appalled, paralyzed for the time being. i didn’t know what to say, how to begin an explanation. i stood there gaping like a fool. it was she who broke the silence that was becoming insupportable between us. come to think of it, the initiative—in speech at least!—was invariably hers.
[136]“a moment,” she said wildly, all her feeling in her voice, “and i had done it, traitor!”
“nay,” i protested, “i am a true man.”
“you bargained for me, you bought me.”
“i was not in earnest,” i started to say, but she interrupted me in a perfect tempest of outraged feeling.
“my god!” she burst out, “why didn’t you stay away a little longer and i had done it? you villain, you vile, low—”
but at that i found voice again, for i was getting angry myself, my temper naturally being none the sweetest, save ordinarily when she was concerned.
“hear me,” i interrupted in turn.
“not a word,” she said imperiously.
“but indeed you must,” i persisted almost roughly, stepping within her cabin and carefully closing the door after me. “it is your welfare alone that i seek. i think you should have known that.”
“after the insult on the quarter-deck last evening?” she asked cuttingly.
now i confess i had forgot that small affair in the graver matters that ensued.
[137]“never mind that,” i began most unwisely.
“never mind it!” she cried, her face flaming, “i shall never forget your insolence as long as i live.”
“madam,” said i, controlling myself again but with added difficulty, “our concern is not with kisses but with—”
“what?”
“life and—”
i hesitated.
“what else? speak on.”
“your honor,” i said slowly, whereat she stared at my face, now doubtless stern enough in all conscience.
she opened her mouth to speak, but i silenced her with a wave of my hand as i found i could do on various occasions. i did not wish to hear further from her then. what i had to say concerned us both so deeply that i cared not what she said and perhaps that closed cabin into which i had penetrated was the likeliest place for privacy in the whole ship. i could by no means be overheard, so i determined to speak freely and in a way not to be misunderstood. she shrank back against the farther bulkhead as i[138] approached her. her mouth opened to scream evidently, although she must have realized that a call for help would have but added to her tormentors. but i stopped her before she made a sound.
“i mean you no harm, can you not see it?” i began. “it was all a play.”
“a play,” she panted, “the murder of the captain, the mutiny of the men, the seizure of the ship, the giving up the chart, your purchase—” she drew herself up—by heaven, she was a brave little thing—“of me,” she added, “with your share of the treasure: was that a play?”
“part of it, madam,” i answered, stung by her scorn and stunned again by the thought that she could ever have believed me capable of such baseness, who had loved her, worshiped her, and—but for that fleeting moment when i had kissed her—had ever treated her with such humble consideration and respect.
“part of it,” she repeated, “what part?”
“my part.”
“your part?”
“i am your humble servant now as ever,” i said emphatically.
[139]“my master, isn’t it, since you bought me?”
“god forbid, i bought not you.”
“what then?”
“the right to live and serve you, the right for you to live unharmed, and—”
“and what?”
“and be served by me with no thought but for your safety and happiness.”
she stared at me for some moments in deep perturbation and perplexity, her brow furrowed. i had wit enough to be silent and let the speech work.
“have i wronged you?” she asked falteringly at last.
“as to that, madam,” i returned firmly—oh, i yearned to take her in my arms, to press her to my heart, to call her sweet names, but i did not dare—“you yourself must be the judge. but if you will think a moment you will see that i had no other course. what would your fate have been, left to that murderous rabble on the deck yonder?”
“i could have died,” she faltered.
“aye, of course, but not until after they had done with you,” i said with a grim plainness[140] of speech, seeing no other way to convince her, and pressing home my slight advantage accordingly.
she shuddered as my meaning became clear to her.
“you should have known me better,” i continued a little reproachfully, “than to have suspected—”
“but your insult to me this very night on the quarter-deck and your indifference to it a moment ago!”
her cheek flushed at the thought of it in spite of herself, and mine flushed, too, or it would have colored had it been less brown, i have no doubt.
“and is a man to be condemned beyond pardon who has served you truly, because he snatches a kiss in a moment of madness and forgets it when your life and honor tremble in the balance?”
“i did not think even you could forget that—ever,” she said and i could not fathom exactly her purpose in that remark.
did she not want me to forget it? or would she have me remember it? but this seemed like[141] trifling. i turned away bitterly, but she caught me by the arm instantly.
“what are you about to do?” she began. “don’t abandon me now. i believe in you. i see now why you did it. it was to save me and help me. what would i do, what could i do, without you? i am—” she hesitated, it was hard for her proud spirit, and coming nearer faltered out a few broken words. “i am sorry,” she finished humbly, with downcast head.
“say no more,” i answered, looking down at the little hand on my sleeve, my soul thrilling to her words and touch. “no harm shall come to you save over my dead body.”
“i believe it.”
“but that is not enough for me to promise. i mean to extricate you from this peril, to save your life if i can, your honor in any case.”
“but how?”
“if the worst came i would kill you with my own hands rather than let you fall into theirs.”
“i would welcome death itself rather than that,” she answered proudly.
“i believe it will not come to that,” i said. “i hope to save you otherwise.”
[142]“but is it possible?”
“i think so, i pray so.”
“you are but one against so many.”
“i have one ally in the ship, you forget,” said i, smiling at her, relieved and thankful to see her in her right mind again and awake to the truth and to my real feeling toward her.
“and that is—”
“yourself.”
“a feeble helper,” she rejoined, smiling in turn.
“we shall see.”
“and will you forgive me for having misjudged you?” she asked pleadingly.
“gladly.”
“my hand on it then,” she said, holding out her little palm, which i swallowed up in my large one on the instant, standing silent as usual, holding it the while.
“and are you not sorry that you—you—kissed me?” she faltered at last.
“no,” i answered bluntly enough—being a plain man i have always felt compelled to tell the truth—except perhaps when her interests were at stake—“i am not sorry,”—but as she[143] swiftly tried to draw her hand away i added, “i promise you i won’t do it again, and you will forgive me, i know. meanwhile, we have much to plan, we may be interrupted any time, and we had best get at it.”
i released her hand and she faced me calmly enough.
“you don’t know how much safer i feel when i have you to depend upon,” she said.
how my heart leaped at that assurance for i saw by it that she had indeed forgiven me.
“i shall leave everything to you, master hampdon,” she continued. “do you tell me what to do and i will do it.”
“i know you will. i could not ask a braver, better second,” i answered heartily.
at that moment i heard a step on the ladder. somebody was coming. quick as a flash i realized the part we had to play in public. i balled my fist and struck the bulkhead savagely. i suppose i must have changed my expression as well for in her surprise, she screamed faintly.
“that’s it,” i whispered, “cry out again, but louder, louder.”
“what do you mean?” she asked hurriedly,[144] with uncomprehending amazement—in this crisis my wits working quicker than hers.
“there is somebody outside. we have a part to play. i am abusing you and you are fighting for your life,” i whispered swiftly, then louder, fairly shouting at her, indeed, i cried out, “down on your knees, wench. you will find that you have met your master now.”
i made some sound of scuffling and she did indeed scream loudly. in the midst of the commotion the door was tried, but fortunately i had turned the key.
“who’s there?” i shouted, and to my lady whispered, “beg for help, loudly.”
entering into the spirit of the game and smiling at me since there was none but me to see, albeit she infused strange terror in her voice so that i was amazed myself, she cried at the top of her voice,
“help! help!”
i in turn called louder yet.
“silence woman!” and struck the bulkhead again.
finally turning to the door i opened it a bit and there stood one of the younger seamen.
[145]“what want you?” i began sternly and stormily. “i don’t care to be disturbed just now.”
“well, from the sound of your love makin’,” answered the sailor insolently, “i shouldn’t judge that you was gittin’ any for-ader.”
and here my little mistress showed her cleverness. she had pulled her hair around her face and somewhat disarranged her dress. she sprang to the door and striving to pass my outstretched arm, pathetically begged the seaman’s assistance from this great brute, meaning myself! it was well done and deceived the man completely.
“i can’t help you,” he said. “i’d like to, mistress, but yon man’s bought you with his share of the treasure an’ a bargain’s a bargain. we must e’en stick to it, though, as i live, i think you worth it,” he leered out at her.
“you see,” said i speaking harshly to her and thrusting her with seeming violence away from the door, “get back into your corner, curse you!” and then to the man, i said, “now what’s the matter and what’s wanted?”
“you’re wanted on deck. it is jest dawn. land’s been sighted an’ there’s a heavy sea[146] runnin’. pimball an’ glibby want your advice as to what’s to be done.”
“good,” said i, “i will be with you in a moment. tell them i have yet a word or two to say to this woman, here.”
the man turned on his heel, passed through the cabin and climbed the ladder to the deck.
“now,” i said quickly, thrusting one of my pistols into my little mistress’ hand, “we can talk no longer this time; i am going to do my best for you and if i fail here is a weapon. you know what to do with it?”
“shall i use it on them?”
“no, madam,” i answered grimly, “on yourself if it comes to the worst.”
“i understand,” she said, paling a little.
“lock the door when i go out and on no account open to any voice but mine.”
“i shall remember.”
“and keep up the acting,” i said, “whimper and cower away whenever we are seen together.”
“i shall not forget,” she said, standing very straight, looking at me bravely, her eyes shining.
“and now, good-by.”
[147]i turned away but she caught me by the shoulder. she extended her hand rather high. i was not so dumb as not to understand what she wanted and so i bent and kissed it, and it was no light kiss of gallantry, but i pressed my lips passionately against the little hand.
“may god keep you,” she said, as i turned away, breathing the “amen” i dared not speak.
i heard the key turn in the lock behind me and with a heart full of misgivings in spite of my stern and resolute purpose, i came out on deck again.
