"Wait, King Tom!" she insisted, raising her voice; then, "I didn't
mean it. Don't believe me!" she cried, recklessly.
For the second time that night a woman's voice startled the hearts of
men on board the Emma. All except the heart of old Jorgenson. The Malays
in the boat looked up from their thwarts. D'Alcacer, sitting in the
stern sheets beside Lingard, felt a sinking of his heart.
"What's this?" he exclaimed. "I heard your name on deck. You are wanted,
I think."
"Shove off," ordered Lingard, inflexibly, without even looking at
d'Alcacer. Mr. Travers was the only one who didn't seem to be aware
of anything. A long time after the boat left the Emma's side he leaned
toward d'Alcacer.
"I have a most extraordinary feeling," he said in a cautious undertone.
"I seem to be in the air--I don't know. Are we on the water, d'Alcacer?
Are you quite sure? But of course, we are on the water."
"Yes," said d'Alcacer, in the same tone. "Crossing the Styx--perhaps."
He heard Mr. Travers utter an unmoved "Very likely," which he did not
expect. Lingard, his hand on the tiller, sat like a man of stone.
"Then your point of view has changed," whispered d'Alcacer.
"I told my wife to make an offer," went on the earnest whisper of the
other man. "A sum of money. But to tell you the truth I don't believe
very much in its success.
Pages:
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428