Part 40 (2/2)

”Where is he?” said Muriel, seeing that Jacinta would not ask.

”Across at the _Ca.r.s.egarry_. At least, he told me he was going when he recognised her.”

”Without coming to shake hands with us?” said Muriel, who flashed a covert glance at Jacinta.

”I understand from one of these fellows that Farquhar is just going to sea, and it's very probable that Austin heard it, too. I have no doubt he'll be back again in five minutes.”

”You will come ash.o.r.e with us, and we will expect you and Mr. Austin to make my house your home in the meanwhile,” said Brown.

”I shall be very glad,” said Jefferson. ”You will, however, have to excuse me for an hour or two. I have our Consul to see, and a good many things to do before I can call my time my own. I wonder if you could get me a tartana?”

”Mine is waiting at the Mole,” said Brown.

It was an hour later when they took their places in the vehicle, but though Brown bade the driver wait a minute or two, there was no appearance of Austin. Just then the _Ca.r.s.egarry_ crept down the harbour, and with a sonorous blast of her whistle steamed out to sea.

”There is no boat coming. He must have landed on the other mole, and, perhaps, met somebody he couldn't get away from,” said Brown. ”I'll leave word that we are expecting him, and no doubt he'll turn up soon after we get home.”

They drove away, and that afternoon sat together in Brown's cool patio.

The noise of the bustling city was deadened by the tall white walls, over which there shone a square of cloudless blue, and the scent of flowers was heavy in the shadowy s.p.a.ce below. Jefferson lay, attired becomingly once more, in a big cane chair, with a little smile of content in his hollow face, and a pile of fruit, and a flask of wine, on the table in front of him. The others sat about him, and a fountain splashed behind them in the shadow.

”A very little of this will make me well,” he said. ”In fact, it is already a trifle difficult to believe that I could scarcely lift myself in my berth a few days ago. I think it was the sight of Gomera that cured me. You see, I was a little doubtful about Austin finding the Canaries, and when they came to tell me they could see the Peak, Wall-eye, who was watching me, ran out.”

”What was he watching you for?” asked Muriel.

”To see I didn't get up. I had my chance then, and I crawled out of my berth. I believe I fell over several things before I got out on deck, and then I knew we were all right at last. There was the Peak--high up in the sky in front of us, with Gomera a blue smudge low down at its feet. We ran in under the lee, and, because they were played out, and Tom had trouble with his engines, stayed there three days.”

He stopped a moment, with a little laugh. ”I think Austin was 'most astonished as I was to find he'd brought her home. He'd been running four or five days on dead reckoning, and wasn't much more than a hundred miles out.”

”I wonder where he is,” said Brown.

Jefferson looked a trifle perplexed, and it was evident that others of the party had asked themselves the same question, for there was a moment's silence until Muriel spoke.

”If he doesn't come soon I shall feel very vexed with him; but we want to hear how you got the steamer off,” she said.

Jefferson commenced his tale diffidently, but, because Austin had worked in the sombre background--more effectively than he could do already--the rest listened with full comprehension. His unvarnished narrative was, however, striking enough, and, save for the splas.h.i.+ng of the fountain, and his low voice, there was a suggestive silence in the patio, until he stopped abruptly when he came to the scene in which Austin pleaded for the negro.

”The man wasn't fit to look at,” he said.

”But why did Mr. Austin go near him?” asked Muriel, with a little s.h.i.+ver.

”To save his life,” said Jefferson, awkwardly. ”You see, we couldn't have him there--and he really wasn't a man then. The thing he had we believed contagious, and somebody had to put him into his canoe.”

Muriel gazed at him with an expression of perplexity, and it was clear that she did not quite understand what had taken place on the night in question, which was, however, not astonis.h.i.+ng. Brown appeared a trifle uncomfortable, and Jefferson was sincerely thankful when Jacinta broke in.

”Of course,” she said. ”He couldn't have stayed there. Mr. Austin put him into his canoe?” She stopped for a moment, and her voice seemed to change a trifle. ”Did he find it necessary to touch him?”

”He did. In fact, the n.i.g.g.e.r got hold of him. One of them slipped on the bridge deck ladder and they rolled down it together.”

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