CHAPTER XV
At two o'clock in the morning Captain Brown was called by the officerof the watch, who told him that he was overhauling a good-sized steamyacht. The latter was heading up for the Straits from the southward,and the officer judged her to be not more than three or four miles onthe port bow.
Captain Brown, who meant business, was sleeping in his clothes in thechart-room, and was on the bridge in ten seconds, peering over thesearch-light with his big binocular. At two in the morning even thelargest yachts do not show such a blaze of lights as passengersteamers generally do all night, and the one Captain Brown waswatching had only two or three, besides the regulation ones. She mightbe white, too, though she might be a light grey, but he thought on thewhole that she was painted white. She was rigged as a two-mastedfore-and-aft schooner. So was the _Erinna_ now, though she had oncecarried square topsails at the fore. She was also of about the samesize, as far as it was possible to judge under the search-light.Captain Brown did not feel sure that he recognised her, butconsidering what his orders were he knew it was his duty to settle thequestion of her identity, which would be an easy matter in a quarterof an hour or less, as the course of the two vessels converged.
He had been told to find the _Erinna_, but for what purpose he knewnot, and he naturally supposed it to be a friendly one. As a firststep, he ordered the Coston signal of his owner's yacht club to beburned, turned off the search-light, and waited for an answer. Nonecame, however. Foreign yachts do not always burn signals to pleasevessels of other nations.
A couple of minutes later, however, the white beam of a search-lightshot out and enveloped Captain Brown and his ship. The other man wasevidently having a good look at him, for the light was kept full onfor some time. But no signal was burned after it went out. ThenCaptain Brown turned on his own light again, and looked once more; andhe had almost made up his mind that the other yacht was not quite aslong as the _Erinna_, when she suddenly starboarded her helm, made awide sweep away from him, and headed down the Sicilian coast in thedirection of Catania.
Captain Brown was so much surprised that he lowered his glasses andlooked at his chief mate, whose watch it was, and who was standingbeside him. It really looked very much as if the other vessel hadrecognised him and were running away. The chief mate also looked athim, but as they were more or less dazzled by the search-light thathad been played on them, they could hardly see one another's faces atall. The captain wished his owner were on deck, instead of being soundasleep below. Owners who are not at all nautical characters do notlike to be waked up at two o'clock in the morning by inquiries forinstructions. Captain Brown considered the situation for two or threeminutes before he made up his mind. He might be mistaken about thelength and the bows of the _Erinna_, and if by any possibility it wereshe, he would not lose much by making sure of her. No other steamercould now pass out of the Straits without being seen by him.
'Hard-a-starboard,' he said to the mate.
'Hard-a-starboard,' said the mate to wheel.
The big _Lancashire Lass_ described a vast curve at her racing speed,while the captain kept his eye on the steamer he was going to chase.Before she was dead ahead the mate ordered the wheel amidships, andthe _Lancashire Lass_ did the rest herself.
'That will do for a course,' the captain said, when he had the vesselone point on the starboard bow.
'Keep her so,' said the mate to the wheel.
'Keep her so, sir,' answered the quartermaster.
It soon became clear to Captain Brown that he was chasing anuncommonly fast vessel, though he was willing to admit that he mighthave been a little out in judging the distance that separated him fromher. Allowing that she might do sixteen knots, and even that is a highspeed for yachts, he ought to have overtaken her in half an hour atthe outside. But he did not, and he was much puzzled to find that hehad gained very little on her when six bells were struck. Twicealready he had given a little more starboard helm, and the pursuedvessel was now right ahead, showing only her stern-light and the glareof her after-masthead light.
'Didn't I hear four bells go just after you called me?' he asked ofthe mate. 'Or was it five?'
'Four bells, sir. I logged it. At two-twenty we gave chase.'
'Mr. Johnson,' said the captain solemnly, 'he's doing at leasttwenty.'
'At least that.'
The quartermaster who came to relieve the wheel at the hour, touchedhis cap, and reported eighty-five and eighty-six revolutions of theport and starboard engines respectively, which meant that the_Lancashire Lass_ was doing her best. Then he took the otherquartermaster's place.
'Chase,' said the man relieved. 'Keep her so.'
'Keep her so,' answered the other, taking over the wheel.
Captain Brown spoke to his officer.
'Tell them to try and work the port engine up to eighty-six, Mr.Johnson.'
The chief mate went to the engine telephone, delivered the message,and reported that the engineer of the watch in the port engine said hewould do his best, but that the port engine had not given quite such agood diagram as the starboard one that morning.
Then something happened which surprised and annoyed Captain Brown; andif he had not been a religious man, and, moreover, in charge of avessel which was so very high-class that she ranked as third in theworld amongst steam yachts, and perhaps second, a fact which gave hima position requiring great dignity of bearing with his officers, hewould certainly have said things.
The chased vessel had put out her lights and disappeared into completedarkness under the Sicilian coast. Again he and his officer looked atone another, but neither spoke. They were outside the wheel-house onthe bridge on the starboard side, behind a heavy plate-glass screen.The captain made one step to the right, the mate made one to the left,and both put up their glasses in the teeth of the gale made by theyacht's tremendous way. In less than a minute they stepped back intotheir places, and glanced at each other again.
Now it occurred to Captain Brown that such a financier as his ownermight be looking out for such another financier as the owner of the_Erinna_ for some reason which would not please the latter, whosesailing-master had without doubts recognised the _Lancashire Lass_ atonce, because she was very differently built from most yachts.
'Search-light again, Mr. Johnson,' said the captain.
The great beacon ran out instantly like a comet's tail, and he stoodbehind it with his glasses. Instead of a steamer, he saw a rocky isletsticking up sharp and clear, half a point on the starboard bow, aboutthree miles off. It was the largest of the Isles of the Cyclops, as hevery well knew, off Aci Reale, and it was perfectly evident that thechased vessel had first put out her lights and had then at once runbehind the islands, close inshore. Captain Brown reflected that thecaptain he was after must know the waters well to do such a thing,and that the deep draught of his own ship made it the height of follyto think of imitating such a trick at night. Yet so long as the otherstayed where she was, she could not come out without showing herselfunder his search-light.
'Half-speed both engines,' he said quickly.
The mate worked the engine telegraph almost as soon as the captainbegan to speak.
'Starboard five degrees more,' said Captain Brown.
The order was repeated to the wheel, and the quartermaster gave itback, and repeated it a second time when the vessel's head had goneoff to port exactly to the required degree.
'Slow,' said Captain Brown. 'Stop her,' he said a moment later.
Twin-screw steamers cannot be stopped as quickly by reversing as thosewith a single screw can, and the _Lancashire Lass_ would keep way onfor three miles or more, by which time she would be abreast of theislands, and at a safe distance from them. Besides, the spring tidewas now running fresh down the Straits, making a current along thecoast, as Captain Brown knew. The instant the engines stopped, thethird mate came round from the chart-room, where he had been sent towork a sight for longitude by Aldebaran for the good of his youngnautical soul.
A moment later
Mr. Van Torp himself appeared on the bridge in pyjamas.
'Got her?' he asked eagerly.
Captain Brown explained that he thought he had cornered the _Erinna_behind the islet, but was not quite sure of her. Mr. Van Torp waitedand said nothing, and the chief mate kept the search-light steadily onthe rocks. The yacht lost way rapidly, and lay quite still with theislet exactly abeam, half a mile off, as the captain had calculated.He then gave the order to go slow ahead.
A minute had not passed when the vessel that had lain concealed behindthe island ran out suddenly with all her regulation lights up,apparently making directly across the bows of the _Lancashire Lass_.Now the rule of the road at sea requires every steamer under weigh tokeep out of the way of any steamer that appears on her starboard sideforward of the beam. At such a short distance Captain Brown had hardlyany choice but to stop his ship again and order 'half-speed astern'till she had no way, and he did so. She was barely moving when theorder was given, and a few turns of the engines stopped heraltogether.
'Is that the _Erinna_, Captain?' asked Mr. Van Torp.
Captain Brown had his glasses up and did not answer at once. Afternearly a minute he laid them down on the lid of the small box fastenedto the bridge-rail.
'No, sir,' he answered in a tone of considerable disappointment. 'Atfour miles' distance she looked so much like her that I didn't dare tolet her slip through my fingers, but we have not lost more than acouple of hours.'
'What is this thing, anyway? She's coming towards us pretty quick.'
'She's one of those new fast twin-screw revenue cutters the Italianshave lately built, sir. They look very like yachts at night. There's adeal of smuggling on this coast, over from Malta. She's comingalongside to ask what we mean by giving chase to a government vessel.'
Captain Brown was right, and when the big cutter had crossed his bows,she ran all round him while she slowed down, and she stopped withinspeaking distance on his starboard side. The usual questions wereasked and answered.
'English yacht _Lancashire Lass_, from Venice for Messina, expectingto meet a friend's yacht at sea. Thought the revenue cutter was she.Regretted mistake. Had the captain of the cutter seen or heard ofEnglish yacht _Erinna_?'
He had not. There was no harm done. It was his duty to watch allvessels. He wished Captain Brown a pleasant trip and good-night.
The Italian officer spoke English well, and there was no trouble.Revenue cutters are very civil to all respectable yachts.
'Hard-a-starboard. Port engine slow astern, starboard enginehalf-speed ahead.'
That was all Captain Brown said, but no one could guess what he wasthinking as his big vessel turned quickly to port on her heel, and heheaded her up for the Straits again. Mr. Van Torp said nothing at all,but his lips moved as he left the bridge and went off to his ownquarters. It was now nearly four o'clock and the eastern sky wasgrey.
The current was dead against the yacht through the Straits, whichwere, moreover, crowded with all sorts of large and small craft undersail, taking advantage of the tide to get through; many of themsteered very badly under the circumstances, of course, and it was outof the question to run between them at full speed. The consequence wasthat it was eight o'clock when the _Lancashire Lass_ steamed slowlyinto Messina and dropped anchor out in the middle of the harbour, towait while Captain Brown got information about the _Erinna_, if therewere any to be had at the harbourmaster's office. It would have beenfolly to run out of the Straits without at least looking in to see ifshe were there, lying quietly moored behind the fortress of SanSalvatore and the very high mole.
She was not there, and had not been heard of, but a Paris _Herald_ wasprocured in which it was stated that the _Erinna_ had arrived inNaples, 'owner and party on board.'
'Well,' said Mr. Van Torp, 'let's get to Naples, quick. How long willit take, Captain?'
'About eight hours, sir, counting our getting under weigh and out ofthis crowded water, which won't take long, for the tide will soonturn.'
'Go ahead,' said Mr. Van Torp.
Captain Brown prepared to get under weigh again as quickly aspossible. The entrance to Messina harbour is narrow, and it wasnatural that, as he was in a hurry, a huge Italian man-of-war shouldenter the harbour at that very moment, with the solemn and safedeliberation which the movements of line-of-battle ships require whengoing in and out of port. There was nothing to be done but to waitpatiently till the fairway was clear. It was not more than a quarterof an hour, but Captain Brown was in a hurry, and as there was a freshmorning breeze blowing across the harbour he could not even get hisanchor up with safety before he was ready to start.
The result of all these delays was that at about nine o'clock he sawthe _Erinna_ right ahead, bows on and only half a mile away, justbetween Scylla and Faro, where the whirlpool is still a danger tosailing vessels and slow steamers, and just as the tide was turningagainst her and in his own favour. He did not like to leave thebridge, even for a moment, and sent the second mate with an urgentmessage requesting Mr. Van Torp to come up as soon as he could.
Five minutes earlier the owner had sat down to breakfast opposite LadyMaud, who was very pale and had dark shadows under her eyes for thefirst time since he had known her. As soon as the steward left themalone, she spoke.
'It is Leven,' she said, 'and he wants me to take him back.'
Mr. Van Torp set down his tea untasted and stared at her. He was notoften completely taken by surprise, but for once he was almostspeechless. His lips did not even move silently.
'I was sure it was he,' Lady Maud said, 'but I did not expect that.'
'Well,' said Mr. Van Torp, finding his voice, 'he shan't. That's all.'
'No. I told him so. If I had been dressed I would have asked you toput me ashore at Messina. I thought you were going to stop there--thestewardess told me where we were, but she knew nothing else; and nowwe're off again.'
'I can't help it, Maud,' said Van Torp, almost in a whisper, 'I don'tbelieve it. I don't believe in impossibilities like that beard of his.It may sound ridiculous in the face of your recognising your ownhusband, but it's a solid fact, and you can't get over it. I wish Icould catch the _Erinna_ and show him to that Tartar girl. She'd knowin a minute. He can't be her man and Leven too. There's only one thingto be done that I can see.'
'What?' asked Lady Maud sadly and incredulously.
'Tell him you'll take him back on condition that he'll shave.'
Mr. Van Torp, who was in dead earnest, had just given his best friendthis piece of sound practical advice when the door opened, though hehad not rung, and the steward announced that the second mate had amessage for Mr. Van Torp. He was admitted, and he delivered it.
The owner sprang to his feet.
'By thunder, we've caught 'em!' he cried, as he rushed out of the decksaloon.
Lady Maud leaned back and stared at his empty chair, wondering whatwas going to happen next.
This was what happened. The _Lancashire Lass_ reversed her starboardengine with full speed astern, put her helm hard over to port, andturned back towards the Straits in the smallest space possible forher, passing less than a cable's length from the Scylla rock, andnearly running down half a dozen fishing-boats that pulled like mad toget out of her way; for they supposed that her steering-gear hadbroken down, unless her captain had gone raving mad.
While this was going on, Captain Brown himself, with the InternationalSignal Code in his hand, was calling out letters of the alphabet to aquartermaster, and before his ship had made half a circle the flagsran up the single stick the yacht carried.
'My owner has urgent business with your owner,' was what the flagsmeant in plain English.
The _Erinna_ was going slow, for Baraka was only just ready to come ondeck, haste being, in her opinion, an invention of Shaitan's.Logotheti, who wished her to see the Straits, was just inside the doorof the deck saloon, waiting for her to come out of her cabin. Theofficer of the watch read off the signals of the other yacht, ran upthe answering pennant, and sent for t
he sailing-master, but could ofcourse do nothing else without orders. So the _Erinna_ continued to goslow. All this took some minutes, for the officer had naturally beenobliged to look up the signal in the Code before answering that heunderstood it; and in that time Van Torp's yacht had completed herturn and was nearly alongside. The _Lancashire Lass_ slowed down tothe _Erinna's_ speed, and the two captains aimed their megaphonesaccurately at each other from their respective bridges for a littlepleasant conversation. Captain Brown, instructed by Mr. Van Torp athis elbow, repeated what his signals had meant. The othersailing-master answered that he had already informed his owner, whowas coming to the bridge directly.
At that moment Logotheti appeared. There was not much more than acable's length between the two yachts, which in land-talk means twohundred yards. Van Torp also saw a slim young lady in blue serge, witha veil tied over her hair, leaning on the rail of the promenade deckand looking towards him. With his glasses he recognised the featuresof Baraka.
'Got 'em!' he ejaculated in a low but audible tone of intensesatisfaction.
Logotheti had also seen Van Torp, and waved his hand in a friendlymanner.
'Ask the gentleman if he'll come aboard, Captain,' said the American.'I can't talk through your cornopean anyway. I suppose we can send thenaphtha launch for him if we stop, can't we?'
'Can't stop here,' answered Captain Brown. 'The currents might jam usinto each other, and we should most likely get aground in any case.This is not even a safe place for going slow, when the tide isrunning.'
'Well, you know your business, and I don't. Tell him we don't want tointerfere with any arrangements he's made, and that if he'll kindlyset the pace he likes we'll trot along behind him till we get to anice place, somewhere where we can stop. I suppose he can't run awayfrom us now, can he?'
Captain Brown smiled the smile of a man who commands atwenty-three-knot boat, and proceeded to deliver the message in a moreconcise form. Logotheti heard every word, and the answer was that hewas in no hurry and was quite at Mr. Van Torp's disposal. He would beglad to know whom the latter had on board with him.
'Lady Maud Leven, Miss Margaret Donne, Mrs. Rushmore, and CountKralinsky,' answered Captain Brown, prompted by Van Torp.
The latter was watching the Greek through a pair of deer-stalkingglasses, and saw distinctly the expression of surprise that came intohis face when he heard the last of the names.
'Tell the gentleman,' said Van Torp, 'that if he'll bring his partywith him when we stop, I'll be very glad to have them all take lunchwith me.'
Captain Brown delivered the message. At such a short distance he didnot even have to raise his voice to be heard through the six-footmegaphone.
To Van Torp's surprise, Logotheti nodded with alacrity, and the answercame that he would bring his party with pleasure, but thought that hisvisit would be over long before luncheon time.
'All right, good-bye,' said Van Torp, as if he were at the telephone.'Ring off, Captain. That's all. Just let him give us a lead now andwe'll follow him through this creek again, since you say you can'tstop here.'
As he went off the bridge to return to his breakfast he passed closeto the chief mate, who had turned again, though it was his watchbelow.
'I say, Mr. Johnson,' he asked, 'have we got a barber-shop on boardthis ship?'
'No, sir,' answered the mate, who knew better than to be surprised atanything.
'It's no matter,' said Mr. Van Torp. 'I was only asking.'
He went back to his breakfast with an improved appetite. When here-entered the saloon Lady Maud was still leaning back in her chair,staring at his empty place.
'Well,' he said, 'they're both coming on board as soon as we get to aplace where we can stop.'
'Have you really seen the girl?' Lady Maud sat up, as if she werewaking from sleep.
'Oh, yes! There she was, looking over the rail, as neat as a pin, in ablue serge dress, with a white veil tied over her hair, watching me.We've got 'em right enough, and that's going to be the end of thismystery!'
'Did you see any one else on the yacht?'
'Logo. That's all. He and I talked. At least, our captains talked forus. They do know how to yell, those men! If the girl's the party, Logobeats the band for brass, that's all I can say!'
'It is rather cool,' said Lady Maud thoughtfully. 'If he's alone withher, it will be all up with his engagement.'
'Well, if that's the way he's going on, it's about time.' His tone wasall at once serious. 'Now, see here, have I done anything youconsider unfair to make this happen? I want your opinion right away,for if you think I have, I'll stand up for Logo to Miss Donne as hardas I can. Just think it over, please, and tell me your honest opinion.If I've done anything low-down, I want to go right back and begin overagain.'
He was thoroughly in earnest, and awaited her answer with evidentanxiety. Knowing the man as she did, she would not give it hastily,though it was hard to concentrate her thoughts just then on anythingbut her own trouble; for she was quite convinced that Baraka would notrecognise Kralinsky as the man she was looking for, and that thisfinal proof would settle his identity as Leven, which she already didnot doubt.
She asked one or two questions.
'Before I answer you,' she said, 'tell me something, as you tell methings, when you do. Have you any entanglement with another woman fromwhich you feel that you're not perfectly free? I don't like to asksuch a question, and I wouldn't if you had not put me on my honour formy opinion.'
'No,' answered Van Torp very gravely, 'I have not. No living woman hasany claim on me, and no dead woman could have, if she came to lifeagain.'
'Then I think you had a right to do what you've done, and what you aregoing to do. When a man behaves in that way he deserves no pity, andnow that the crisis is coming I may as well tell you that I've doneeverything in my power to make Margaret give him up, ever since I havebeen sure that he had taken the girl with him on his yacht. So far ascatching them under Margaret's very eyes is concerned, I'm glad youhave succeeded--very glad!'
On certain points Lady Maud was inflexible as to the conduct of menand women, but especially of men. 'Mrs. Foxwell' spent much timebehind the Virtue-Curtain, seeking for poor souls who were willing tobe helped, and her experiences had led her to believe a modifiedversion of the story of Adam and Eve and the Apple-tree which wasquite her own. In her opinion Adam had been in the habit of talking tohis wife about the tree for some time, and when the serpent presenteditself to explain things he discreetly withdrew till the interview wasover. Therefore 'Mrs. Foxwell' was, on the whole, more charitablyinclined to her own sex than the other, and when she was 'Lady Maud'she held very strong views indeed about the obligations of men whomeant to marry, and she expressed them when the intended bride was afriend of hers.
'Thank you,' said Mr. Van Torp, after she had finished her speech.'I'm glad you don't disapprove, for if you did I'd try to begin allover again, as I told you. Any other question? You said "one or two,"and I'd like to have them all now.'
'Only one more, though perhaps I've no business to ask it. If Margaretmarries you, shall you want her to leave the stage?'
'Why, no!' answered Mr. Van Torp with alacrity. 'That wouldn't suit myplans at all. Besides, we're a Company, she and I.'
'What do you mean?' Lady Maud thought he was joking.
'Well, I wasn't going to tell you till we'd organised, but you're asgood as a deaf and dumb asylum about business things. Yes. We'reorganising as "The Madame da Cordova and Rufus Van Torp Company." I'mgoing to build an opera-house in New York on some land I've got onFifth Avenue, and Miss Donne is going to run it, and we mean to haveWagner festivals and things, besides regular grand opera, in whichshe's engaged to sing as often as she likes. There's never been anopera-house on Fifth Avenue, but there's going to be, and people willgo to it. Miss Donne caught on to the scheme right away, so you seeshe's not going to leave the stage anyhow. As for her accepting me, Ican't tell you, because I don't know. Maybe she will, maybe she won't.That isn't going to i
nterfere with the Company either way. Goodscheme, isn't it?'
'You're a wonderful man,' said Lady Maud, with genuine admiration. 'Doyou mean to say that you have settled all that between you already?'
'She signed the preliminary agreement in Bayreuth, and the papers arebeing made out by my lawyer in New York. You don't think it was unfairto offer to build a theatre and call it after her, do you? That isn't"exercising undue influence," I suppose?'
'No, and I think you're going to win. The other man hasn't had achance since you got into your stride.'
'When a man chucks his chances, I'm not going to pick them up for him.Charity begins at home.'
'Even if "home" is a bachelor establishment?' Lady Maud smiled for thefirst time that day.
They talked a few minutes longer, agreeing that she should tellMargaret what was going to happen; but that Mrs. Rushmore andKralinsky should be kept in ignorance of the plan, the American ladybecause she might possibly yield to temptation and tell the Count, andthe latter for obvious reasons. It was not likely that any of themwould be on deck much before Logotheti came on board.
There is good anchorage out of the tidal current at Scaletta, some fewmiles below Messina, on the Sicilian side, and towards this well-knownwater the _Erinna_ led the way, followed at a short distance by the_Lancashire Lass_.
Logotheti and Baraka watched her, and the girl recognised Van Torp onthe bridge of his yacht, without even using glasses, for she had eyeslike an eagle's, and the American millionaire stood alone at one endof the bridge looking towards her.
Logotheti had told her that Kralinsky was on board, and that sheshould see him as soon as both yachts could anchor. He explained thatit was an unforeseen coincidence, and that Mr. Van Torp must havetaken him on board somewhere on the previous day. To the Greek'ssurprise, Baraka showed no outward sign of emotion. He had promised totake her to the man, and had said that he was near at hand; that themeeting should take place sooner than had been intended hardlysurprised her, because she had been so perfectly sure that it wasnear. Her only preoccupation now was about her appearance in herready-made serge and blouse, when she had meant to show herself toKralinsky in the glory of a beautiful and expensive Feringhi dress.
But Logotheti explained that even the richest Feringhi ladies oftenwore little blue serge frocks on yachts, and told her to watch the_Lancashire Lass_ with her glasses, as there were three very greatFeringhi ladies on board, and she might see one, and be reassured; andpresently she saw Lady Maud walking alone on the promenade deck, inclothes very like her own, excepting that they were black instead ofdark blue. So Baraka was satisfied, but she never took her eyes fromthe following yacht, for she hoped that Kralinsky would come out andshow himself.
All at once he was there, taking off his white cap to Lady Maud, andthey stood still facing each other, and talking.
'I see him,' Baraka said in a low voice, without lowering her glasses.'It is he.'
Logotheti, who had been much absorbed in thinking about his cominginterview with Margaret, raised his glasses too, for he was curious tosee the man at last. He had known Leven for years, though neverintimately, as he knew a vast number of people in London, and he wasstruck at once by the resemblance in size, build, and complexion.
'He is fatter than he was, and paler,' Baraka said quietly, 'but it ishe. He is speaking earnestly with the beautiful woman in black. I cansee well. He likes her, but she does not like him. I think she istelling him so. I am glad. But she is more beautiful than Baraka, evenin those poor clothes. When he sees me, he will deny me, because helikes the beautiful woman in black. I will tell Spiro to be ready. Itis a pity, but I see there will be no other way. It is his portion andmine. It is a great pity, for I have been happy with you.'
Instead of any look of anger, Logotheti now saw an expression ofprofound resignation in her lovely young features. If he had been lessanxious about his own affairs, he would have smiled at her simplicity.
'When we are on that ship you will let me talk with him a little apartfrom the rest, and Spiro shall go behind him and wait, looking at me.If he denies me, I will make a sign, and Spiro shall shoot him, andthen kill me. It will be very easy and quick.'
'And what will become of Spiro?' inquired Logotheti gravely.
'I do not know,' Baraka said quietly. 'Perhaps he will lose his head.How can I tell? But he is a good servant, and will obey me. Afterwardsit will not matter, for he is really a Musulman, and will go at onceto paradise if he dies, because he has killed a Christian.'
'But you are a Musulman, and he is to kill you also. What about that?'
'I am only a woman,' answered Baraka with supreme indifference. 'Now Iwill call Spiro and tell him what he is to do. He has a goodrevolver.'
Logotheti let her clap her hands and send the steward for her man,and she rose when he appeared and made him follow her a little wayalong the deck. The interview did not last long. She handed him herglasses and made him look carefully at the intended victim; then sheapparently repeated her brief instructions again, pointing here andthere to the deck at her feet, to show him how they were to stand;after which she turned quietly, came back to Logotheti's side, and satdown again.
'He understands,' she said. 'It will be quite easy.'
But Logotheti, looking past her as she came forward, had met Spiro'seyes; and he felt not even the slightest anxiety for Kralinsky'ssafety, nor for Baraka's. He was still wondering what he should say toMargaret, but while he tried to think it over, his eyes dwelt on thenoble little profile of the slender Asiatic girl at his side; and itoccurred to him that, although she had worn man's clothes and donethings that few women would dare to do, for the one purpose of herlife, she would much rather die than show herself on the stage in avery low dress before thousands of people and sing to them, and takemoney for doing it; and he remembered a time, not much more than twoyears past, when the mere thought had driven the idea of marrying thePrimadonna quite out of his head for a while, and that, after all, ithad been her physical attraction that had overcome the prejudice,making him say that he was as much in love with the Cordova as he hadbeen with Margaret Donne, that 'very nice English girl.' For men arechangeable creatures after they think they have changed themselves tosuit their tastes or their ideals, and the original man in them, goodor bad, fine or coarse, generally comes back in the great moments.
At a distance, Logotheti had supposed that he could somehow account tothe Diva for the position in which he had foolishly placed himself,because he had done nothing and said nothing that he would have beenashamed of before her, if she knew the whole truth; and he fanciedthat even if they quarrelled she would make up with him before long,and marry him in the end. He had a good opinion of himself as adesirable husband; and with reason, since he had been persecuted foryears with offers of excellent marriages from mothers of high degreewho had daughters to dispose of. And beneath that conviction therelurked, in spite of him, the less worthy thought, that singers andactresses were generally less squeamish than women of the world aboutthe little entanglements of their intended husbands.
But now, at the very moment of meeting Margaret, he knew that if hefound her very angry with him, he would simply listen to what she hadto say, make a humble apology, state the truth coldly, and return tohis own yacht with Baraka, under her very eyes, and in full sight ofLady Maud and Mrs. Rushmore. Besides, he felt tolerably sure that whenSpiro failed to carry out the young Tartar girl's murderousinstructions, she would forget all about the oath she had sworn by the'inviolable water of the Styx' and try to kill him with her own hands,so that it would be necessary to take her away abruptly, and evenforcibly.
Matters did not turn out as he expected, however, after the two yachtsstopped their engines in the quiet waters off Scaletta, under theSicilian mountains.
Before the _Erinna_ had quite lost her way, Logotheti had his naphthalaunch puffing alongside, and he got into it with Baraka and Spiro,and the _Lancashire Lass_ had barely time to lower her ladder, whilestill moving slowly, before th
e visitors were there.
Baraka bade Logotheti go up first, and trod daintily on the gratedsteps as she followed him. The chief mate and chief steward werewaiting at the gangway. The mate saluted; the steward led the visitorsto the main saloon, ushered them in, and shut the door. Spiro was leftoutside, of course.
Lady Maud was there, sitting in an easy-chair in the farthest corner.She nodded to Logotheti, but did not rise, and paid no more attentionto Baraka than if she had not existed.
Mr. Van Torp shook hands coldly with Logotheti; Baraka walked directlyto Kralinsky, and then stood stone-still before him, gazing upsteadily into his eyes.
Neither Margaret nor Mrs. Rushmore was to be seen. Van Torp andLogotheti both watched the other two, looking from one face to theother. Kralinsky, with his eye-glass in his eye, surveyed the lovelyyoung barbarian unmoved, and the silence lasted half a minute. Thenshe spoke in her own language and Kralinsky answered her, and onlyLogotheti understood what they said to each other. Probably it did notoccur to Kralinsky that the Greek knew Tartar.
'You are not Ivan. You are fatter, and you have not his eyes.'
Logotheti drew a long breath.
'No,' answered Kralinsky. 'I am Yuryi, his brother. I never saw you,but he told me of you.'
'Where is Ivan?'
'Dead.'
The proud little head was bowed down for a moment and Baraka did notspeak till several seconds had passed. Then she looked up againsuddenly. Her dark eyes were quite dry.
'How long?'
'More than four months.'
'You know it?'
'I was with him and buried him.'
'It is enough.'
She turned, her head high, and went to the door, and no one hinderedher from going out.
'Monsieur Logotheti!' Lady Maud called him, and the Greek crossed thesaloon and stood by her. 'He is not the man, I see,' she said, with avague doubt in her voice.
'No.'
Van Torp was speaking with Kralinsky in low tones. Lady Maud spoke toLogotheti again, after an instant, in which she drew a painful breathand grew paler.
'Miss Donne knows that you are on board,' she said, 'but she wishes meto say that she will not see you, and that she considers herengagement at an end, after what you have done.'
Logotheti did not hesitate.
'Will you kindly give a message to Miss Donne from me?' he asked.
'That quite depends on what it is,' Lady Maud answered coldly.
She felt that she herself had got something near a death-wound, butshe would not break down.
'I beg you to tell Miss Donne that I yield to her decision,' saidLogotheti with dignity. 'We are not suited to each other, and it isbetter that we should part. But I cannot accept as the cause of ourparting the fact that I have given my protection to a young girl whomI have extricated from great trouble and have treated, and stilltreat, precisely as I should have treated Miss Donne if she had beenmy guest. Will you tell her that?'
'I will tell her that.'
'Thank you. Good-morning.'
'Good-morning,' said Lady Maud icily.
He turned and went towards the door, but stopped to speak to Van Torp.
'This gentleman,' he said, 'is not the man my guest was anxious tofind, though he is strikingly like him. I have to thank you for givingher an opportunity of satisfying herself. Good-morning.'
Mr. Van Torp was extremely grateful to Logotheti for having ruinedhimself in Margaret's eyes, and would in any case have seen him to thegangway, but he was also very anxious to know what Kralinsky andBaraka had said to each other in Tartar. He therefore opened the doorfor the Greek, followed him out and shut it behind him. Baraka andSpiro had disappeared; they were already in the launch, waiting.
'Now what did they say, if it isn't a rude question?' asked theAmerican.
Logotheti repeated the short conversation almost word for word.
'He said that his name was Yuryi,' he concluded.
'That is George in English.'
'Oh, he's George, is he? And what's his dead brother's name again,please?'
'Ivan. That is John. Before we part, Van Torp, I may as well tell youthat my engagement with Miss Donne is at an end. She was good enoughto inform me of her decision through Lady Maud. One thing more,please. I wish you to know, as between man and man, that I havetreated Baraka as I would my own sister since I got her out of prison,and I beg that you won't encourage any disagreeable talk about her.'
'Well, now,' said the American slowly, 'I'm glad to hear you say that,just in that way. I guess it'll be all right about any remarks onboard my ship, now you've spoken.'
'Thank you,' said Logotheti, moving towards the gangway.
They shook hands with some cordiality, and Logotheti ran down thesteps like a sailor, without laying his hand on the man-rope, steppedon board his launch, and was off in a moment.
'Good-bye! good-bye, Miss Barrack, and good luck to you!' cried VanTorp, waving his cap.
Logotheti translated his words to Baraka, who looked back with agrateful smile, as if she had not just heard that the man she hadrisked her life to find in two continents had been dead four months.
'It was his portion,' she said gravely, when she was alone withLogotheti on the _Erinna_, and the chain was coming in fast.
Van Torp went back to the main saloon and found Lady Maud andKralinsky there. She was apparently about to leave the Count, for shewas coming towards the door, and her eyes were dark and angry.
'Rufus,' she said, 'this man is my husband, and insists that I shouldtake him back. I will not. Will you kindly have me put ashore beforeyou start again? My things are ready now.'
'Excuse me,' answered Mr. Van Torp, digging his large thumbs into hiswaistcoat pockets, 'there's a mistake. He's not your husband.'
'He is, indeed!' cried Lady Maud, in a tone her friend never forgot.
'I am Boris Leven,' said Kralinsky in an authoritative tone, andcoming forward almost defiantly. 'Then why did you tell the Tartargirl that your name was George?' asked Mr. Van Torp, unmoved.
'I did not.'
'You've evidently forgotten. That Greek gentleman speaks Tartar betterthan you. I wonder where you learned it! He's just told me you saidyour name was George.'
'My name is George Boris,' answered Kralinsky, less confidently.
He was not a coward, but he had never been face to face with Van Torpwhen he meant business, and the terrible American cowed him.
'My husband's name is only Boris--nothing else,' said Lady Maud.
'Well, this isn't your husband; this is George, whoever he is, and ifyou don't believe it, I'm going to give you an object-lesson.'
Thereupon Mr. Van Torp pressed the button of a bell in the bulk-headnear the door, which he opened, and he stood looking out. A stewardcame at once.
'Send me Stemp,' said Van Torp in a low voice, as he stepped outside.
'Yes, sir.'
'And, see here, send six sailors with him.'
'Six, sir?'
'Yes. Big fellows who can handle a man.'
'Very good, sir.'
Mr. Van Torp went in again and shut the door. Kralinsky disdainedflight, and was looking out of a window. Lady Maud had sat down again.For the first time in her life she felt weak.
In less than one minute the door opened and Stemp appeared, impassiveand respectful. Behind him was the boatswain, a huge Northumbrian, andfive young seamen in perfectly new guernseys, with fair quiet faces.
'Stemp.'
'Yes, sir.'
'Take that man somewhere and shave him. Leave his moustache on.' VanTorp pointed to Kralinsky.
For once in his life Stemp gasped for breath. Kralinsky turned agreenish white, and seemed paralysed with rage.
'Take his beard off, sir, you mean?'
'Yes. Leave his moustache. Here, men,' added Van Torp, 'take thatfellow outside and hold him down in a chair while Stemp shaves him.See?' The boatswain looked doubtful. 'He's pretending to be somebodyhe's not,' said Van Torp, 'on my ship, and I
want to see his face.It's mutiny if you don't obey orders!'
'Aye, aye, sir,' responded the boatswain cheerfully, for he ratherliked the job since there was a good reason for it.
But instead of going about his business gently, the Northumbrian giantsuddenly dashed past Van Torp in a flash, and jumped and hurledhimself head foremost at Kralinsky's legs, exactly as if he werediving. In the Count's violent fall the revolver he had drawn wasthrown from his hand and went off in the air. The boatswain had seenit in time. The big man struggled a little, but the five seamen heldhim fast and carried him out kicking.
'Stemp.'
The valet was preparing to follow the prisoner, and was quite calmagain.
'Yes, sir.'
'If he won't sit still to be shaved, cut his head off.'
'Yes, sir.'
Van Torp's eyes were awful to see. He had never been so angry in hislife. He turned and saw Lady Maud pressing her handkerchief to herright temple. The ball had grazed it, though it had certainly not beenmeant for her.
'Rufus!' she cried in great distress, 'what have you done?'
'The question is what he's done to you,' answered Van Torp. 'I believethe blackguard has shot you!'
'It's nothing. Thank God it hit me! It was meant for you.'
Van Torp's rage instantly turned into tender care, and he insisted onexamining the wound, which was slight but would leave a scar. By amiracle the ball had grazed the angle of the temple without going nearthe temporal artery, and scarcely singeing the thick brown hair.
Van Torp rang and sent for water and absorbent cotton, and made a veryneat dressing, over which Lady Maud tied her big veil. Just as thiswas done, Stemp appeared at the door.
'It's ready, sir, if you would like to come and see. I've notscratched him once, sir.'
'All right.' Van Torp turned to Lady Maud. 'Do you feel faint? Lean onmy arm.'
But she would not, and she walked bravely, holding herself so straightthat she looked much taller than he, though she felt as if she weregoing to execution.
A moment later she uttered a loud cry and clung to Van Torp'sshoulder with both hands. But as for him, he said only two words.
'You hellhound!'
The man was not Boris Leven.
"The man was not Boris Leven."]
The eyes, the upper part of the face, the hair, even the flowingmoustaches were his, but not the small retreating chin crossed by thesharp, thin scar of a sword-cut long healed.
'I know who you are,' said Van Torp, surveying him gravely. 'You'reLong-legged Levi's brother, that disappeared before he did. I rememberthat scar.'
The sham Kralinsky was securely tied down in a chair and the boatswainand the five seamen stood round him, an admiring public. Captain Brownhad been informed of what had happened and was going on, and thediscipline he maintained on board was so perfect that every man on thewatch was at his post, and the steamer was already under weigh again.The boatswain and his contingent belonged to the watch below, whichhad not been called for the start.
'Let me off easy,' said Long-legged Levi's brother. 'I've not done youany harm.'
'Beyond wounding Lady Maud, after trying to pass yourself off as herdead husband. No. I won't let you off. Boatswain, I want this manarrested, and we'll take him and all his belongings before the BritishConsul in Messina in less than an hour. You just attend to that, willyou? Somebody go and tell the Captain.'
'Aye, aye, sir.'
For the boatswain and the men had seen and heard, and they knew thatMr. Van Torp was right, and they respected him, and the foreignimpostor had wounded an English woman; and having given his orders,the owner and Lady Maud turned and left Long-legged Levi's brothertied to the chair, in a very dejected state, and his uncertain eyesdid not even follow them.
* * * * *
The rest is soon told. A long inquiry followed, which led to thesolution of the mystery and sent Count Yuryi Leven to Siberia; for hewas Boris Leven's twin brother.
The truth turned out to be that there had been three brothers, theyoungest being Ivan, and they had all entered the same Cossackregiment, and had served in the Caucasus, where most officers learnthe Tartar language, which is spoken by all the different tribes. Itwill be simpler to designate them by the English equivalents for theirnames.
Boris behaved himself tolerably well in the army, but both hisbrothers, John and George, who was his twin, were broken for cheatingat cards, and emigrated to America. So long as they all wore theirbeards, as officers of Cossack regiments usually do, they were verymuch alike. They were all educated men of refined tastes, andparticularly fond of music.
When his two brothers were cashiered, Boris resigned, entered thediplomatic service, married Lady Maud Foxwell, and was killed by abomb in St. Petersburg.
John and George separated in America when they were tired of punchingcattle.
John was something of a naturalist and was by far the most gifted ofthe three as well as the most daring. He gravitated to China and atlast to Mongolia, wandering alone in search of plants and minerals,and it was to him that Baraka showed the ruby mine. He got back tocivilisation with his treasure and took it to Petersburg unmolested.
There he found George earning a poor living in an obscure position inthe public service, his conduct in the army having been condoned oroverlooked. John, who was the incarnation of selfishness, would donothing for him. George, exasperated by him, and half starved,murdered him in such a way that he was supposed to have died by anaccident, took possession of his hoard of unsold rubies, and wrote tohis twin brother to come and share the fortune John had left them.
George and Boris had been in constant correspondence, and had evenhelped each other with money from time to time. Some weeks elapsedafter Boris's return to St. Petersburg before his death, and duringthat time, he told George, who knew London well and had moreoverhelped him in his attempt to get a divorce, a vast number of detailsabout his married life and his wife's behaviour, her character andtastes. Then Boris was killed in the street, and George left thecountry and changed his name, with the vague idea that his own was nota very creditable one and that if he kept it he might be troubled byhis brother Boris's numerous creditors. He began life over again asKralinsky.
He had not entertained the least intention of passing himself forBoris and claiming Lady Maud as his wife, till he met her, and herbeauty made him lose his head completely when he saw that she took himfor her husband. He would have been found out inevitably sooner orlater, but Van Torp's vigorous action shortened Lady Maud's torments.
George was tried, and Russian justice awoke, possibly under pressurefrom England. The family history of the Levens was exhumed anddissected before the courts. The creditors of Boris Leven appeared inlegions and claimed that in proper course he should have inherited therubies from his murdered brother, who would then have been able to payhis debts. The court thought so too, and ordered the confiscatedtreasure to be sold.
But since it had been Boris's, the law was obliged to declare that theresidue of the money, after paying the debts, was the property ofCountess Leven, Boris's widow.
Lady Maud thus found herself in possession of a considerable fortune,for she accepted the inheritance when she was assured that it would goto the Russian Crown if she refused it. But there was a fall in theprice of rubies, and the Russian government at once sent an expensiveexpedition to find the mine, an attempt which altogether failed,because Ivan Leven had never told any one where it was, nor anythingabout it, and the court only knew from certain jewellers who had dealtboth with Kralinsky and Baraka, that it was 'somewhere in CentralAsia,' which is an insufficient direction, even for a ruby mine.
The wealth Lady Maud thus commands enables her to carry much furtherthan formerly the peculiar form of charity which she believes to beher own invention, if it may be properly called charity at all, andwhich consists in making it worth while and agreeable to certainunfortunate people to live decent lives in quiet corners withoutstarving, instea
d of calling to them to come out from behind theVirtue-Curtain and be reformed in public. It is a very expensivecharity, however, and very hard to exercise, and will never bepopular; for the popular charities are those that cost least and areno trouble.
Madame Konstantinos Logotheti is learning French and English, on theBosphorus, with her husband, and will make a sensation when he bringsher to London and Paris. On the day of his marriage, inConstantinople, Logotheti received a letter from Lady Maud, tellinghim how sorry she was that she had not believed him, that day on theyacht at Scaletta, and saying that she hoped to meet his wife soon. Itwas an honest apology from an honest woman.
He received a letter a few days later from Margaret, and on the sameday a magnificently printed and recklessly illustrated booklet reachedhim, forwarded from Paris. The letter was from Margaret to tell himthat she also took back what she had thought about Baraka and hoped tosee him and her before long. She said she was glad, on the whole, thathe had acted like a lunatic, because it was likely that they wouldboth be happier. She herself, she said, was going to be married to Mr.Van Torp, at St. George's, Hanover Square, before sailing for NewYork, where she was going to sing at the Opera after Christmas. If heshould be in town then, she hoped he would come, and bring his wife.
The booklet was an announcement, interleaved with fine etchings, tothe effect that 'The Madame da Cordova and Rufus Van Torp Company'would open their new Opera House in Fifth Avenue less than two yearshence, with a grand Wagner Festival, to last two months, and toinclude the performance of _Parsifal_ with entirely new scenery, andthe greatest living artistes, whose names were given. There was a planof the house at the end of the booklet for the benefit of those whowished to make arrangements for being at the festival, and suchpersons were admonished that they must apply early if they expected toget seats.
* * * * *
Mr. Van Torp had told the Diva that he would like her to choose awedding present which she really wanted, adding that he had a fewlittle things for her already. He produced some of them, but some wereon paper. Among the latter was a house in New York, overlooking thePark and copied exactly from her own in London, the English architecthaving been sent to New York himself to build it. Two small items weretwo luxurious private cars of entirely different patterns, one forAmerica and one for Europe, which she was always to use when shetravelled, professionally or otherwise. He said he did not give herthe _Lancashire Lass_ because 'it wasn't quite new'--having been aboutten months in the water--but he had his own reasons, one of which wasthat the yacht represented a sentiment to him, and was what he wouldhave called a 'souvenir.' But if she could think of anything else shefancied, 'now was the time.'
She said that there was only one thing she should really like, butthat she could not have it, because it was not in the market. He askedwhat it was, and it turned out to be the ruby which Logotheti hadgiven her, and had taken to Pinney's to be cut, and which had been thecause of so many unexpected events, including her marriage. Logothetihad it in his possession, she supposed, but he had shown good taste innot trying to press it on her as a wedding present, for she could nothave accepted it. Nevertheless, she wanted it very much, more as aremembrance than for its beauty.
Mr. Van Torp said he 'thought he could fix that,' and he did. He wentdirectly to Mr. Pinney and asked what had become of the stone. Mr.Pinney answered that it was now cut, and was in his safe, for sale.The good man had felt that it would not be tactful to offer it to Mr.Van Torp. Logotheti, who was a fine gentleman in his way, had orderedit to be sold, when a good opportunity offered, and directed that themoney should be given to the poor Greeks in London, under thesupervision of Lady Maud Leven, the Turkish Ambassador, and the GreekMinister, as a committee. Mr. Pinney, after consultation with the bestexperts, valued it at fourteen thousand pounds sterling. Mr. Van Torpwrote a cheque for the money, put the stone into an inner pocket, andtook it to the Diva.
'Well,' he said, smiling, 'here's your ruby, anyway. Anything elseto-day?'
Margaret looked at him wonderingly, and then opened the small moroccocase.
'Oh--oh--oh!' she cried, in rising intimations of delight. 'I neversaw anything so beautiful in my life! It's ever so much more gloriousthan when I last saw it!'
'It's been cut since then,' observed Mr. Van Torp.
'It ought to have a name of its own! I'm sure it's more beautiful thanmany of the named crown jewels!' She felt half hypnotised as she gazedinto the glorious depths of the great stone. 'Thank you,' she cried,'thank you so very much. I'm gladder to have it than all the otherthings.'
And thereupon she threw her magnificent arms round Rufus Van Torp'ssolid neck, and kissed his cool flat cheek several times; and itseemed quite natural to her to do so; and she wished to forget how shehad once kissed one other man, who had kissed her.
'It wants a name, doesn't it?' assented Mr. Van Torp.
'Yes. You must find one for it.'
'Well,' he said, 'after what's happened, I suppose we'd better call it"The Diva's Ruby."'
The Diva's Ruby Page 15
