Part 41 (1/2)

Again there was silence, and all of them looked at Jefferson, who saw the question in Jacinta's eyes.

”No,” he said. ”Nothing came of it, though for a week or so I was horribly afraid. It isn't men like Austin who take that kind of thing, and it's possible it mayn't have been infectious, after all.”

Muriel heard Jacinta softly draw in her breath, as though she had been under a strain which had suddenly relaxed. Then a little colour crept into her face and a sparkle into her eyes.

”Yes,” said Jefferson, though n.o.body had spoken, ”it was a daring thing.

More, in fact, than I would have done. My partner has the cleanest kind of real hard sand in him.”

He turned to Muriel with a little deprecatory gesture. ”I had more at stake than he had--and I was afraid that night.”

Jacinta sat still a while, a trifle flushed in face, for the scene Jefferson had very vaguely pictured had stirred her to the depths. The man whom she had sent forth had done more than she would ever have asked of him, and the gallantry of the action brought a dimness to her eyes.

Then she remembered that it was not done recklessly, for he had, it seemed, decided calmly, which must have made it inexpressibly harder.

There were, she could imagine, circ.u.mstances in which a man might more or less willingly risk his life, but the risk Austin had taken was horrible, and he stood to gain nothing when he quietly recognised the responsibility he had taken upon himself. It was with an overwhelming sense of confusion she remembered the jibes she had flung at him concerning his discretion, and yet under it there was still the sense of pride. After all, it was to please her he had gone to Africa.

”Well,” said Jefferson quietly, ”you are pleased with him?”

Jacinta met his gaze unwaveringly, and her voice had a little thrill in it.

”Does it matter in the least whether I am pleased or not?” she said.

”Still, since you ask, I scarcely think I have heard of anything that would surpa.s.s what he did that night.”

Jefferson made her a little inclination. ”I am,” he said gravely, ”not sure that I have, either.”

He went on with his story, but Jacinta scarcely listened to it, for she was wondering why Austin had not come, and waiting expectantly for the time when she could, in self-abas.e.m.e.nt, endeavour to wipe what she had said from his memory. Still, he did not come, and it was half an hour later when a barefooted boatman was shown into the patio. He had an envelope in his hand, and turned to Brown.

”The Englishman who was in the _Estremedura_ gave me this on board the _Ca.r.s.egarry_,” he said. ”I am sorry I could not bring it before, but several steamers I had to go to came in, and then it was some time before I found out that the Senor Jefferson had gone home with you.”

When he went away Brown handed Jefferson the note, while the latter, who opened it, straightened himself suddenly and seemed to be struggling with some emotion. Then he pa.s.sed it to Jacinta.

”You have good nerves, Miss Brown,” he said. ”If I had known it would come to this, I think I would have left the _c.u.mbria_ there.”

Jacinta took the letter in a steady hand, but her face grew a trifle blanched as she read.

”I am going home with Farquhar,” the message ran. ”I could hardly go in a pa.s.senger boat, and he is fixing me up a room by myself. I didn't care to tell you when you were just shaking off the fever, but one of my arms feels very much as that engineer said his did. I am going to see if one of the big specialists or the Tropical Disease men can do anything for me.”

Jacinta sat quite still a minute, and then slowly rose.

”It is horrible, but I suppose even a purpose of the kind he had does not exempt one from the consequences,” she said. ”There are things to attend to. You will excuse me just now.”

They looked at one another when she left them, and then Brown turned to Jefferson.

”I wonder if you have any objections to showing me that note?” he said.

”It doesn't seem to be here,” said Muriel. ”What can she have done with it?”

”Don't worry about looking,” said Jefferson sharply. ”I can remember it.