第25章

Wherewasthatthing？Shefeltsurethattheyhadnotmovedaninchfromthatspot。PresentlyherfootfounditandstillgrippingLingard’sforearmshestoopedtosecureitproperly。

Whenshestoodup，stillholdinghisarm，theyconfrontedeachother，herigidinaneffortofself—commandbutfeelingasifthesurgesoftheheaviestseathathecouldrememberinhislifewererunningthroughhisheart；andthewomanasifemptiedofallfeelingbyherexperience，withoutthoughtyet，butbeginningtoregainhersenseofthesituationandthememoryoftheimmediatepast。

"Ihavebeenwatchingatthatloopholeforanhour，eversincetheycamerunningtomewiththatstoryoftherockets，"saidLingard。"IwasshutupwithBelarabthen。Iwaslookingoutwhenthetorchblazedandyousteppedashore。IthoughtIwasdreaming。ButwhatcouldIdo？IfeltImustrushtoyoubutI

darednot。Thatclumpofpalmsisfullofmen。Soarethehousesyousawthattimeyoucameashorewithme。Fullofmen。Armedmen。Atriggerissoonpulledandwhenonceshootingbegins……Andyouwalkingintheopenwiththatlightaboveyourhead！I

didn’tdare。Youweresaferalone。Ihadthestrengthtoholdmyselfinandwatchyoucomeupfromtheshore。No！Nomanthateverlivedhadseensuchasight。Whatdidyoucomefor？"

"Didn’tyouexpectsomebody？Idon’tmeanme，Imeanamessenger？"

"No！"saidLingard，wonderingathisownself—control。"Whydidheletyoucome？"

"YoumeanCaptainJorgenson？Oh，herefusedatfirst。Hesaidthathehadyourorders。"

"Howonearthdidyoumanagetogetroundhim？"saidLingardinhissoftesttones。

"Ididnottry，"shebeganandcheckedherself。Lingard’squestion，thoughhereallydidn’tseemtocaremuchaboutananswer，hadarousedafreshhersuspicionofJorgenson’schangeoffront。"Ididn’thavetosayverymuchatthelast，"shecontinued，gaspingyetalittleandfeelingherpersonality，crushedtonothinginthehugofthosearms，expandagaintoitsfullsignificancebeforetheattentiveimmobilityofthatman。

"CaptainJorgensonhasalwayslookeduponmeasanuisance。

Perhapshehadmadeuphismindtogetridofmeevenagainstyourorders。Ishequitesane？"

ShereleasedherfirmholdofthatironforearmwhichfellslowlybyLingard’sside。Shehadregainedfullythepossessionofherpersonality。Thereremainedonlyafading，slightlybreathlessimpressionofashortflightabovethatearthonwhichherfeetwerefirmlyplantednow。"Andisthatall？"sheaskedherself，notbitterly，butwithasortoftendercontempt。

"Heissosane，"soundedLingard’svoice，gloomily，"thatifI

hadlistenedtohimyouwouldnothavefoundmehere。"

"Whatdoyoumeanbyhere？Inthisstockade？"

"Anywhere，"hesaid。

"Andwhatwouldhavehappenedthen？"

"Godknows，"heanswered。"Whatwouldhavehappenediftheworldhadnotbeenmadeinsevendays？Ihaveknownyouforjustaboutthattime。Itbeganbymecomingtoyouatnight——likeathiefinthenight。WherethedevildidIhearthat？AndthatmanyouaremarriedtothinksIamnobetterthanathief。"

"ItoughttobeenoughforyouthatInevermadeamistakeastowhatyouare，thatIcometoyouinlessthantwenty—fourhoursafteryouleftmecontemptuouslytomydistress。Don’tpretendyoudidn’thearmecallafteryou。Oh，yes，youheard。ThewholeshipheardmeforIhadnoshame。"

"Yes，youcame，"saidLingard，violently。"Buthaveyoureallycome？Ican’tbelievemyeyes！Areyoureallyhere？"

"Thisisadarkspot，luckily，"saidMrs。Travers。"Butcanyoureallyhaveanydoubt？"sheadded，significantly。

Hemadeasuddenmovementtowardher，betrayingsomuchpassionthatMrs。Traversthought，"Ishan’tcomeoutalivethistime，"

andyethewasthere，motionlessbeforeher，asthoughhehadneverstirred。Itwasmoreasthoughtheearthhadmadeasuddenmovementunderhisfeetwithoutbeingabletodestroyhisbalance。ButtheearthunderMrs。Travers’feethadmadenomovementandforasecondshewasoverwhelmedbywondernotatthisproofofherownself—possessionbutattheman’simmensepoweroverhimself。Ifithadnotbeenforherstrangeinwardexhaustionshewouldperhapshavesurrenderedtothatpower。Butitseemedtoherthatshehadnothinginherworthsurrendering，anditwasinaperfectlyeventonethatshesaid，"Givemeyourarm，CaptainLingard。Wecan’tstayallnightonthisspot。"

Astheymovedonshethought，"Thereisrealgreatnessinthatman。"Hewasgreateveninhisbehaviour。Noapologies，noexplanations，noabasement，noviolence，andnoteventheslightesttremoroftheframeholdingthatboldandperplexedsoul。SheknewthatforcertainbecauseherfingerswererestinglightlyonLingard’sarmwhileshewalkedslowlybyhissideasthoughheweretakingherdowntodinner。Andyetshecouldn’tsupposeforamoment，that，likeherself，hewasemptiedofallemotion。Sheneverbeforewassoawareofhimasadangerousforce。"Heisreallyruthless，"shethought。Theyhadjustlefttheshadowoftheinnerdefencesaboutthegatewhenaslightlyhoarse，apologeticvoicewasheardbehindthemrepeatinginsistently，whatevenMrs。Travers’eardetectedtobeasortofformula。Thewordswere："Thereisthisthing——thereisthisthing——thereisthisthing。"Theyturnedround。

"Oh，myscarf，"saidMrs。Travers。

Ashort，squat，broad—facedyoungfellowhavingforallcostumeapairofwhitedrawerswasofferingthescarfthrownoverbothhisarms，asiftheyhadbeensticks，andholdingitrespectfullyasfaraspossiblefromhisperson。LingardtookitfromhimandMrs。Traversclaimeditatonce。"Don’tforgettheproprieties，"

shesaid。"Thisisalsomyfaceveil。"

ShewasarrangingitaboutherheadwhenLingardsaid，"Thereisnoneed。Iamtakingyoutothosegentlemen。"——"Iwilluseitallthesame，"saidMrs。Travers。"Thisthingworksbothways，asamatterofproprietyorasamatterofprecaution。TillIhaveanopportunityoflookingintoamirrornothingwillpersuademethatthereisn’tsomechangeinmyface。"Lingardswunghalfroundandgazeddownather。Veilednowsheconfrontedhimboldly。"Tellme，CaptainLingard，howmanyeyeswerelookingatusalittlewhileago？"

"Doyoucare？"heasked。

"Notintheleast，"shesaid。"Amillionstarswerelookingon，too，andwhatdiditmatter？TheywerenotoftheworldIknow。

Andit’sjustthesamewiththeeyes。TheyarenotoftheworldI

livein。"

Lingardthought："Nobodyis。"Neverbeforehadsheseemedtohimmoreunapproachable，moredifferentandmoreremote。Theglowofanumberofsmallfireslightedthegroundonly，andbroughtouttheblackbulkofmenlyingdowninthethindriftofsmoke。Onlyoneofthesefires，ratherapartandburninginfrontofthehousewhichwasthequarteroftheprisoners，mighthavebeencalledablazeandeventhatwasnotagreatone。Itdidn’tpenetratethedarkspacebetweenthepilesandthedepthoftheverandahabovewhereonlyacoupleofheadsandtheglintofaspearheadcouldbeseendimlyintheplayofthelight。Butdownonthegroundoutside，theblackshapeofamanseatedonabenchhadanintenserelief。Anotherintenselyblackshadowthrewahandfulofbrushwoodonthefireandwentaway。Themanonthebenchgotup。Itwasd’Alcacer。HeletLingardandMrs。Traverscomequitecloseuptohim。Extremesurpriseseemedtohavemadehimdumb。

"Youdidn’texpect……"beganMrs。Traverswithsomeembarrassmentbeforethatmuteattitude。

"Idoubtedmyeyes，"struckind’Alcacer，whoseemedembarrassed，too。Nextmomentherecoveredhistoneandconfessedsimply："AtthemomentIwasn’tthinkingofyou，Mrs。Travers。"Hepassedhishandoverhisforehead。"IhardlyknowwhatIwasthinkingof。"

Inthelightoftheshooting—upflameMrs。Traverscouldseed’Alcacer’sface。Therewasnosmileonit。Shec