Part 39 (1/2)

”You go!” said Esther savagely. ”You make him take you to the town to see your fellow.”

”Oh!” exclaimed Evanthia, stopping again and stifling a laugh. She had not thought of such a thing. ”What you must think of me!” she murmured.

”And then tell him you are finished. You have a heart, yes, as big as that ring on your finger. You take everything from him, and now you....”

With a sudden gesture of rage the girl flung the things away and stood up to her friend.

”I'll kill you!” she growled through her teeth. ”I know you! You are jealous, jealous, jealous! I see you talk, talk English to him at the bath-house. I see you go out with him for the walk through the village.

I hear you talk to him about that girl Vera he saw once in Odessa. All right! Go with him! Go! Here are the things. Take them! I spit at you.

You....”

She fell back, exhausted with the ferocity of her pa.s.sion, her hands still making gestures of dismissal to the silent and scornful Esther who remained motionless yet alert, ready to take her own part.

”You are altogether mad!” she said at last in her husky tones. ”Here is your husband. Tell him, tell him....”

Evanthia spun round where she stood with her hands on her bosom.

”We must go, dear,” said Mr. Spokesly and paused in astonishment at the scene. With a convulsive movement the girl tore at her dress and then flung out her hand towards the sh.o.r.e.

”Go then, go! Why do you come here any more? You want her. There she is, jealous because all the men want me. Look at her. She ask you with her eyes. Oh, yah! I hate you! I never love you. It is finish. Go!”

”Eh!” he called, swallowing hard. He looked at Esther in amazement.

”What is this?” he asked. ”What have you said to her? My dear!”

”You better go,” said Esther sullenly. ”She won't go with you. Can't you see?”

”But how can I go without her?” he exclaimed.

”I kill myself before I go. This is my place. Go back, you. I hate you.”

Esther came over to him and, taking up the satchel, thrust him out before her. Down the steps and across the dark garden she went with him, and only when the great gate clanged did he make an effort to break through the dreadful paralysis of mind that had a.s.sailed him.

”What made her go on like that?” he demanded drearily.

”Go on. I tell you in a minute. You men, you got no sense.”

”But what did she mean, about you?”

”Nothing. She's crazy. You no understand.”

”You said yourself she'd come,” he insisted.

”Yes, I _say_ so. I tell her she better come. But you no understand women.”

He was destined to find out, as years went by, that this was true. And when they stood on the jetty and looked down into the obscurity where Mr. Ca.s.sar sat in the boat patiently awaiting his pa.s.sengers, Mr.

Spokesly began to regain command of himself. For a moment, up there, he had been all abroad. The sudden emotional upheaval hardened his resolve.

”Well!” he said with a sudden intake of breath, and paused, once more overwhelmed by the change in his affairs. ”I don't know what to say, Esther.” He put his hand on her shoulder and she twisted away a little.