The Old Adam: A Story of Adventure

by Arnold Bennett

  VI.

  Though he was on the way to high success, his anxieties and solicitudesseemed to increase every hour. Immediately after Isabel Joy's arrest hebecame more than ever a crony of the Marconi operator, and began todespatch vivid and urgent telegrams to London, without counting thecost. On the next day he began to receive replies. (It was the mostinteresting voyage that the Marconi operator had had since the sinkingof the _Catherine of Siena_, in which episode his promptness through theair had certainly saved two hundred lives.) Edward Henry could scarcelysleep, so intense was his longing for Sunday night--his desire to besafe in London with Isabel Joy! Nay, he could not properly eat! Andthen the doubt entered his mind whether, after all, he would get toLondon on Sunday night. For the _Lithuania_ was lagging. She mighthave been doing it on purpose to ruin him. Every day, in theauction-pool on the ship's run, it was the holder of the low field thatpocketed the money of his fellow men. The _Lithuania_ actuallydescended below five hundred and forty knots in the twenty-four hours.And no authoritative explanation of this behaviour was ever given. Uponleaving New York there had been talk of reaching Fishguard on Saturdayevening. But now the prophesied moment of arrival had been put forwardto noon on Sunday. Edward Henry's sole consolation was that each day onthe eastward trip consisted of only twenty-three hours.

  Further, he was by no means free from apprehension about the personalliberty of Isabel Joy. Isabel had exceeded the programme arrangedbetween them. It had been no part of his scheme that she should castplates, nor even break violins on the shining crown of an august purser.The purser was angry, and he had the captain, a milder man, behind him.When Isabel Joy threatened a hunger-strike if she was not immediatelyreleased, the purser signified that she might proceed with herhunger-strike; he well knew that it would be impossible for her toexpire of inanition before the arrival at Fishguard.

  The case was serious, because Isabel Joy had created a precedent.Policemen and cabinet ministers had for many months been regarded as thelawful prey of militants, but Isabel Joy was the first of the militantsto damage property and heads which belonged to persons of neither ofthese classes. And the authorities of the ship were assuredly inclinedto hand Isabel Joy over to the police at Fishguard. What saved thesituation for Edward Henry was the factor which saved most situations,namely, public opinion. When the saloon clearly realised that IsabelJoy had done what she had done with the pure and innocent aim of winninga wager, all that was Anglo-Saxon in the saloon ranged itself on theside of true sport, and the matter was lifted above mere politics. Asubscription was inaugurated to buy a new fiddle, and to pay forshattered crockery. And the amount collected would have purchased,after settling for the crockery, a couple of dozen new fiddles. Theunneeded balance was given to seamen's orphanages. The purser wasapproached. The captain was implored. Influence was brought to bear.In short--the wheels that are within wheels went duly round. And MissIsabel Joy, after apologies and promises, was unconditionally released.

  But she had been arrested.

  And then, early on Sunday morning, the ship met a storm that had a sadinfluence on divine service, a storm of the eminence that scares eventhe brass-buttoned occupants of liners' bridges. The rumour went roundthe ship that the captain would not call at Fishguard in such weather.

  Edward Henry was ready to yield up his spirit in this fearful crisis,which endured two hours. The captain did call at Fishguard, in pouringrain, and men came aboard selling Sunday newspapers that were full ofIsabel's arrest on the steamer, and of the nearing triumph of herarrival in London before midnight. And newspaper correspondents alsocame aboard, and all the way on the tender, and in the sheds, and in thetrain, Edward Henry and Isabel Joy were subjected to the journalisticexperiments of hardy interviewers. The train arrived at Paddington at 9P.M. Isabel had won by three hours. The station was a surging throngof open-mouthed people. Edward Henry would not lose sight of hispriceless charge, but he sent Marrier to despatch a telegram to Nellie,whose wifely interest in his movements he had till then either forgottenor ignored.

  And even now his mind was not free. He saw in front of him stilltwenty-four hours of anguish.