STORY ONE, CHAPTER ELEVEN.
IN BESSY'S CABIN.
So determined was Captain Studwick not to be lightly trifled with that apistol was in his hand as he ran back to the side, but his alarm wasunnecessary, for the scuffling noise was caused merely by Mr Parkleycatching their visitor as she tottered and nearly fell on the deck.
"Let me see my husband, Mr Parkley," she moaned, "for pity's sake letme see my husband. If I saw him and spoke to him, he would listen tome."
"But, my dear child," began Mr Parkley.
"I shall die if I do not see him," she moaned again. "I have been soill--I have suffered so much, and this evening the news came that he wasgoing away--away without seeing me. Oh, God, what have I done that Ishould suffer so!"
"My dear child--my dear Mrs Pugh."
"I must see him--pray, pray take me to him," she sobbed, "it is morethan I can--more than I can bear."
Mr Parkley caught her again just in time, for she swooned away, andlaying her upon the deck he tried hard to restore her. Then looking uphe became aware that the lights of the town were fast receding.
"Why, Studwick," he exclaimed, "the schooner's moving."
"Yes," said the captain.
"But the boat this poor girl came off in?"
"Ashore by this time."
"But we can't take her. Hang it, man, we cannot have domesticdifferences on board. She must go back."
"We must now land her at Plymouth," said the captain. "Send for myBessy, man, she will soon bring her to. How foolish of the little womanto come aboard."
"Shall I fetch the young lady, sir?" said Sam Oakum gruffly, as he stoodwith a look of disgust upon his face.
"Yes, for goodness' sake, do. Quick!" exclaimed Mr Parkley, whoseefforts to restore animation were all in vain.
Just as Sam went aft, though, Mrs Pugh began to revive, stared wildlyabout, and sitting up saw the captain bending over her.
"Captain Studwick," she cried, catching his hand and drawing herselfupon her knees to cling to him, "don't send me back--don't send me away.Let me go too. I could not bear to part from my husband like this. Heis angry with me," she whispered, "I cannot tell you why, but he has notspoken to me for days, and I have been so--so ill."
"Yes, yes, you shall see him, my dear, but stand up. You must not makea scene."
"Oh no," she exclaimed, rising hastily, "I will do anything you say,only let me see him and explain. Let me go with, you. If I could talkto him he would believe me, and all would be well again. If not," shesaid with a hysterical cry, "I shall go mad--I shall go mad."
"Come, let me take you below," said the captain, for she was clingingtightly to his arm.
"Yes, yes," whispered the poor trembling woman. "I could not help that;I am trying so hard to be calm, but my poor breast is so care-laden thata cry would escape. Let me go with you, Captain Studwick. I will be soquiet--so careful."
"It is impossible, my dear child," he said in a husky voice, for heragony affected him.
"No, no, don't say that; I will help Bessy nurse your poor son. Sheloves me, and believes in me, and I will give no trouble. If you set meashore I shall die of grief. I cannot live to be separated from myhusband--for him to leave me like this."
"Well, well, well, I'll see what I can do," said the captain in thequieting way that one would speak to a child; but she peered instantlyinto his face.
"You are deceiving me," she cried. "You are trying to calm me withpromises, and you mean to set me ashore. Mr Parkley," she wailed,turning to him, "you know me, and believe in me: you know the cause ofthis trouble. Take me to my dear husband, and help me to drive awaythis horrible belief of his, or I shall die."
"My dear child--my dear child," he said, drawing her to him, "I will tryall I can."
"But you will set me ashore again when I strove so hard to get to him.I was so ill in bed, and he has not been near me. I found out that youwere taking Dutch from me, and I could not stay. Let me see him--oh,let me see him!"
"You shall, my dear, as soon as you are calm."
"But he is here," she whispered, not daring to raise her voice lest, inher excited state, it should get the mastery over her, and she shouldburst forth in hysterical wails.
"Yes, my child, he is here. He is asleep below."
"Poor Dutch!" she whispered to herself; and then with a faint, wearysmile she laid her hands in those of her old friend. "There, you cansee how calm and patient I will be," she continued. "No one shallsuspect any trouble. I will be so quiet and patient, and if he will notlisten to me, I will not complain, so long as I am near him--only waittill God changes his heart towards me."
"There, then, you shall stay--till we get to Plymouth," exclaimed MrParkley, hastily passing his hand across his eyes. "Don't let the mensee that anything's the matter, my dear."
"No: oh, no," she replied. "I'm quite calm now. Ah, here's MissStudwick."
"You here, Mrs Pugh!" exclaimed the captain's daughter, who believedthat she was coming to her father.
"Yes, I could not stay," Sobbed Hester. "I was obliged to come. Oh,Bessy, dear Bessy, don't shrink from me," she wailed, as the men gladlydrew away and left them together.
"Hush! don't say a word here," said Bessy, glancing round, and speakinghoarsely; "come down to my cabin."
Hester tottered, and would have fallen, but Bessy caught her arm and ledher below, where, as soon as they were alone, the former fell upon herknees, and held up her hands, catching those of Bessy as she stoodbefore her.
"Listen to me, Miss Studwick," she moaned. "Don't condemn me unheard.I thought you believed in me, but you shrank from me just now."
Bessy did not speak, but gazed down on the sobbing woman with a look ofpity.
"My dear husband has allowed cruel suspicions to creep into his heart,and he wrongs me--he does, indeed. Oh, Bessy, Bessy, you loved himonce, I know, I know you did, and you must have hated me for taking hislove from you."
A low sigh burst from Bessy's breast, but she did not speak.
"You know," sobbed Hester, "how true and noble and frank he is."
"I do," said Bessy softly.
"Then, what would the woman be who could betray him, even in thought?Would she not be the vilest, the most cruel of wretches?"
"She would, indeed," said Bessy coldly.
"Bessy--Miss Studwick," cried Hester, with a low wail of misery, "if Ihave committed any sin it is that of loving my dear husband too well.God--God knows how innocent I am. Oh! it is too hard to bear."
She sank lower on the cabin floor, weeping silently, but only by a greateffort, for the heavy sobs kept rising to her lips, and in her agony theintense desire to obtain relief in uttering loud cries was almost morethan she could master.
Bessy stood looking down upon her with brows knit and lips pressedtogether, for her heart whispered to her that this was a judgment onthis woman, who had robbed her of her love, and that she ought torejoice over her downfall. Then, too, the thought came that, this idolfallen, she might, perhaps, herself be raised up in its place, and aflash of joy irradiated her mind, but only for a moment. Then herbetter nature prevailed, and bending down she lifted the prostrate womanwith ease, and laid her upon the couch-like locker that filled one sideof the cabin, kneeling down beside her, and drawing the dishevelled headupon her bosom.
"Hester," she whispered, "I did hate you, very, very bitterly, asintensely as I once loved Dutch Pugh; but all that is passed. When Icame to your house, and began to know you better, I used to go home andkneel down and pray for his happiness with you, while, when I heard ofhis trouble, my hatred began to fight its way back, so that the last dayor two I have felt ready to curse you for the wreck you have made."
"Oh, no, no, no," sobbed Hester, clinging to her; "I am innocent."
"Yes, I know and believe that now," said Bessy; "and I will help you towin him back to the same belief."
"But you will bring him to me quickly, or they will set me ashore,"wailed Hester, clin
ging tightly to her companion as she uttered a sighof relief. "If I could but stay only to see him sometimes, and knowthat he was safe, I should wait then patiently until he came to me andtold me that all this dreadful dream was at an end."
"And you believe that he will do this?"
"Believe!" cried Hester, starting up, and gazing full at her companion."Oh, yes, I believe it. It may be long first, but the time will come,and I can wait--I can wait--I can wait."
She sank back quite exhausted as she repeated the last words again andagain in a whisper, the last time almost inaudibly; and then, holdingBessy Studwick's hand tightly clasped to her bosom, her eyes closed, andshe sank into the deep sleep of exhaustion, the first sleep that hadvisited the weary woman for three nights; while, as the light from thecabin lamp fell athwart her pretty troubled face, Bessy knelt therewatching her, passing her soft white hand across the forehead to sweepaway the tangled locks. Then as the time wore on, and the rippling,plashing noise of the water against the ship grew louder, and thefootsteps on the deck less frequent, she listened for the catching sighsthat escaped at intervals from the sleeping young wife's lips, her owntears stealing gently down from time to time, as Hester murmured morethan once the name of which she had herself loved to dream.
"Poor Dutch! and he might have felt the same trouble, perhaps about me,"thought Bessy, as she bent over and kissed Hester's cheek, to feel thesleeping woman's arms steal round her neck for a moment, and then glidesoftly down again.
"No, no, it could not be true," she whispered again, as she knelt therewatching hour after hour for Hester to awake, till her own head sanklower and lower, and at last she fell asleep by the suffering woman'sside.