CHAPTER XI
THE LULL
When you consider how I had parted from the Prince, his subsequentconduct must be regarded as creditable. After my watch I fell deadasleep in my bunk, and might have slept till night had it not been forthe sense of discipline possessed and exhibited by his Royal Highness.He visited me in person, and did me the honour to arouse me from mydreamless slumber, whereat I sat up cursing.
"It is natural you should feel irritated, Dr. Phillimore," said hecalmly. "But when you come to yourself you will perceive that duty mustbe performed. It is your watch."
"Oh, ah!" I blurted forth. "You must excuse me; sir, but I have had anight of it."
He nodded amiably. "If you will come to my cabin after your watch," heobserved, "I shall have something to say to you."
I do not know that I looked forward to the interview with any interest.I expected some censure of my conduct earlier in the day, and I wasresolved to defend myself. But the Prince proved mild and even amiable.He offered me a cigar, and condescended to discuss some points ofpolicy with me.
"I have been told," said he, "that you have been in the forecastle, andhave seen Mr. Legrand. You think that there is some chance of hisjoining us? Well, it is good hearing. I have no doubt that we shallsucceed in destroying the traitors."
"Mr. Morland," said I, leaning forward to him, "I would not like toleave you in the thought that this is going to be easy."
"Oh, no; it will not be easy," he agreed.
But plainly he was confident that it was possible, which I was not. Ifthere was any one in that ship that doubted, it was I. I said nothing,however, but remarked that Holgate was a man of resource and capacity.
"I am willing to believe that," he said after a pause. "He is a veryclever scoundrel. Oh, yes."
"We might be in a better position to counter his plans if we fathomthem," I suggested.
He looked at me, interrogation in his blue eyes, which were, and werenot, so like his sister's.
"The question that puzzles me, sir, is why Holgate did not seize thesaloon and the deck below last night when he had the chance--for downthere is what he wants."
"He had us locked up in the chart-house," replied the Prince withassurance. "He did not anticipate that we should escape; and the yachtwas running into danger."
Yes; that was the explanation that had occurred to me; indeed, it wasthe explanation that hitherto we had all accepted. But was it true?
"It was his intention to possess himself of the papers at his leisure,"continued Prince Frederic, smoking and gazing at me with the air of apreceptor instructing a pupil.
"Why should he?" I asked bluntly.
The Prince smiled pleasantly. "I will tell you, Dr. Phillimore," heanswered. "When I left London, and Europe, for good, I instructed mylawyers to put my property into three forms of goods--drafts onbankers, Bank of England notes, and English currency. Each kind wouldbe of service to me, whose destination was not quite settled. But thesewould make a bulky load for any man. There is a large amount of specie,and is it not the Bank of England that says, 'Come and carry what goldyou will away in your pockets provided you give us L5,000'? Well, thereis that difficulty for these villains."
"But," I objected, "do they know how the treasure is made up?"
He cast a dark glance at me. "I have told you," he said, "I trust suchas you in my service, doctor. But there has been treachery. Who I amand what I carry became known. How, I cannot say. But it was treachery.The whole thing is a conspiracy," he cried, hammering on the table,"and it may be that my enemies in Hochburg are at the bottom of it. Iwill find out. But, see you, doctor, I am Mr. Morland here andhereafter. Let that be understood, and it is as Mr. Morland I will hangthese ruffians."
His frown knit his eyebrows closely, and his nostrils heaved, while theblue eyes were fired with sudden flame. If he had ideas on democracy,as reports of him had declared, he had also beyond question the temperof the martinet. It was possible, no doubt, to recognise these strangecontradictions, but at the first sight it seemed difficult. I had yetto learn that I was dealing with a type of the fanatic, and arepresentative of that type, moreover, who exemplified in his blood thefatalism of his ascendants. Yet the glimpse I had of the man wasinteresting. I began to understand him, and even to sympathise withhim. He had foregone much for the sake of an ideal, and that wassomething. But just then I should like to have known exactly what hissister's attitude to that ideal might be. For Princess Alix, strange asher brother was, was even more baffling than he.
Though we kept a rigid watch all that day and night, no attack wasdelivered, and I began once again to speculate as to Holgate's policy.Was he trying to tire us out before he made his assault, or had heother ends in view? The second day passed as tranquilly as the first,and the yacht was still making her best southward. She had passed themouth of the Rio La Plata, and was forging along the Argentine coast,bound for--we knew not whither. Her destination was in other hands, andwe must be content to abide the issues, alert and equipped for anyemergency.
On the second day I revisited the forecastle, with my flag, and foundHolgate as amiable as before.
"You give me your word, doctor, that you have no weapons?" said he,when I had attended to his wounded men, and was proceeding to the holdwhere the prisoners lay.
"I give you my word," I replied.
He nodded, and gave orders for the removal of the hatch; and down Iwent, this time unaccompanied. Legrand still lay on his back, staringvacantly, and the sailors were grouped about, a despondent company, inthat dark and stuffy hole.
"Any improvement?" said I to one of them.
"Not much, sir," said he, with a glance towards the open hatchway,where, no doubt, one of the mutineers stood on guard.
"Does Mr. Legrand take any nourishment?" I asked.
"A bit, sir, but not too much. He doesn't seem to relish his food," theman answered.
"Does he talk?" I asked.
"He has spoken about a dozen sentences, sir, but there don't seem muchsense in them."
"Ah, I feared as much," I said. I was certain that Holgate, for all hislordly air of unconcern, had taken steps to know what was forward inthe hold.
I made another examination, and was the more convinced that there wasnothing seriously the matter with Legrand. This time he frankly grinnedin my face, as I laid him down. No doubt the sailors were in hissecret, and primed for it.
"I daresay I shall have to operate," I said, and, bidding themfarewell, I ascended to the deck.
Holgate waved his hand cheerily at me. "Always glad to see you,doctor," he called out, and went on with the conversation in which hewas engaged.
I could have whipped myself that I could not guess what his craftydesign was.
But, if I was ignorant, no one was likely to assist me. Barraclough hadno views; all that his purview compassed was the probability of animmediate fight, to which he looked forward with unconcern. Lane wasridiculously inept in his suggestions, one of which involved the ideathat Holgate desired to "bag ladies and treasure with one gun." Thissuggestion irritated me, and I snubbed him, so far as any one couldsnub Lane. The Prince, I knew, was secure in his obstinate conviction,and naturally Ellison had no views any more than Barraclough. They wereboth very excellent examples of pure British phlegm andunimaginativeness. This seemed to cast the burden upon me, for Pye wasstill confined to his cabin. The little man was undoubtedly shaken bythe horrid events he had witnessed, and though he was confessedly acoward, I could not help feeling sorry for him. He was an abjectcreature now, and clung to his bunk, keeping out of the Prince's wayand Barraclough's as much as possible, and pestering me with hisconsultations.
"I believe I should be better, doctor, if we were to get into warmerweather," he said pleadingly. "Cold does affect a man's nerves, doesn'tit?"
"Well, you'll have to make love to Holgate, if you want that," said Idrily. "We're at his mercy."
We were all, I think, conscious of that, if we did not always openlyacknowledge the fa
ct. Yet it was astonishing that no attack was made onthe state-rooms. Holgate had promised it, and had even struck theshadow of deeper terrors during the concluding words of his interviewin the corridor. But things went on peacefully; the sun rose in blurredheavens of blue and grey, and declined into rolling waters, and noevent of consequence took place. The bells were sounded as of old; thewheelman in his armoured turret steered the yacht upon her course, andevery day the _Sea Queen_ drew southward under the ordinary maritimeroutine. Were it not for our memories, and for the outward facts of ourpredicament, we might have fancied ourselves merely upon a pleasantexcursion.
There was, however, this lacking, that no one knew our destination. Thesecret was locked in Holgate's bosom, or perhaps he shared it with oneor more of his desperadoes.
And, as if to lull us into a sense of security and to persuade us thatall was normal, Mademoiselle suddenly developed and exhibited aremarkable liveliness. She was a thing of moods and impulses,restrained by no reason or consideration for others, so far as I couldjudge. And, having once got the better of her hysteric fear of themutiny, she promptly discarded any thought of it. We were prisoners inour part of the yacht, it is true, but that did not interfere with ourcomfort. We had food and wine to spare; we were supplied with everyluxury; and no one gave us any trouble. The guards were set regularly,but Mademoiselle had no concern with that. I doubt if she evenrecognised that such precautions were taken. There was a certainromance in the situation which appealed to her and inflamed herimagination. She lived most of the day in her cabins, being tired byher maid, or playing dominoes or some other childish game; and in theafternoon she emerged upon us, a glorious figure in fine clothes, andgave us the benefit of her society.
Naturally she spent much of her time in company with the Prince and hissister, but Barraclough and myself were by no means denied her favours.Barraclough spoke French very indifferently--as indifferently, indeed,as Mademoiselle spoke English, but that did not prevent them fromgetting on very well together. As I have explained, Barraclough was atall, handsome fellow, lean and inflexible of face, with thecharacteristic qualities of his race. His eyes admired the ladyprofoundly, and he endeavoured to keep pace with her wits, a taskrendered difficult by the breaches in two languages. This vivacity wascrowned by exhibitions of her voice, to which she began to treat us.She had, as I remembered, a wonderful mezzo-soprano, and, being pent upin this comfortable prison, and denied access to the promenade, sheused it to effect. As I have said, the music-room surrounding thesaloon below, as a balcony, was in our suite, if I may put it in thatway, and thither was Mademoiselle accustomed to repair of an afternoonto keep her voice in practice, as she explained. The Prince usuallyfollowed her there, and I have seen him more than once seated in thedimness of the farthest corner of the balcony, staring before him as aman lost in thought, or as one rapt out of himself into somesentimental ecstasy at the sounds of that divine music. Here we felt,more or less, that we were in Liberty Hall, and, to do him justice,Prince Frederic encouraged us to feel this. It was understood that thesaloon was open to all, and it became a resort for such of us as wereoff duty in those days--a resort that would have been improved by morelight; for the windows were all barred and shuttered, and only theskylights admitted the day.
The weather was now grown much colder, for we were off the coast ofPatagonia, and Holgate appeared to be bent on doubling the Horn andgetting into the Pacific. In the wilds of that wide domain there wouldbe more chances for this crew of scoundrels to find refuge and securityfrom the arm of the law. Was it for this he was waiting? And yet thatwas no argument against an immediate attack, for it was clear that hemight get the business over, deal with us as he chose, and make for hisdestination afterwards and at his leisure. Nor could it be that hedoubted as to the issue of the struggle, for his forces outnumberedours greatly, and, if I knew anything of men, Holgate was utterlywithout fear. But, on the other hand, he had a great deal ofdiscretion. The only conclusion that emerged from these considerationswas the certainty that in the end Holgate had decreed our fate. _That_had been settled when Day fell, perhaps even before that, and when poorMcCrae was shot by his engines. We were doomed to death.
If any doubt as to our fate dwelt in Princess Alix's mind she did notshow it. She was a girl of spirit and energy, and she had neat hands.Thus her time was spent in such work as she deemed useful in thecircumstances, or such as occupied her mind healthily. She made ahandsome fur cap for herself against the biting wind, which now camesnapping off the icy highlands of the coast, and she sketched, anddesigned, and photographed. Above all, she was cheerful andself-reliant. There was not much in common between the brother and thesister save perhaps their aloofness from strangers. I questioned muchif the Princess had any of her brother's sentimentality. She had allher brother's decision and fire, however, as I was to see exemplifiedmore than once.
It was on the third of our quiet afternoons that I was sitting in thecorridor with a volume in my hand, conscious merely of the many soundsin that silence, and scarcely aware of what I read. The voyage seemedto partake of the nature of that fabled voyage of the ancient mariner.Some strange doom hung over us all, and yet the sky smiled, as it didthat moment, and the cold breath of the blue sea was inspiring in one'snostrils like wine in the blood. I was aware in this dream that a doorhad opened and shut, and that the Princess had come into the corridor.She sat on a chair not far from me and plied her needles in a way thatstruck me now, as I roused myself, as very homely and pleasant. I shota glance at her. She was very simply dressed in what, for all I know,may have been a very extravagant fashion. She had the knitted waistcoatshe was making (I concluded for her brother) across her knee, and I hada full view of her as she swayed and moved about her task. Thoseflowing lines, that sweet ripeness, the excellent beauty of her face,impressed me newly. She met my glance, and smiled.
"What do you find interests you, Dr. Phillimore?" she asked in herpleasant voice.
"I was reading, or pretending to read, a book of poems," I answered.
"Poems," she replied, plying her needles, and then in a little, "It isstrange you should be reading poems and I knitting here."
"It puzzles me," said I. I rose and went to the window behind her whichwas not shuttered, and for the light from which she had seated herselfthere. The crisp sparkle of the sea rose to eyes and ears. When Iturned, Princess Alix had ceased from her work and was looking towardsme.
"You wonder why?" she asked.
"I have made many guesses, but have never satisfied myself yet why themutiny is not pushed to its logical conclusion."
"Which would mea----" she said thoughtfully.
"Which would mean," I interrupted quickly, "the possession of thetreasure."
There was something deeply significant in her gaze, something that wasbrave, and appealed, and winced at the same time. She went on slowlywith her knitting.
"He is waiting his time," she remarked in a low voice.
"He will wait too long," I said with a little laugh.
"Do you think so?" she asked, and, laying down her work, went to thewindow as I had done. "It is cold."
"We are off an icy shore," I said.
"Yes, I found it on the map this morning," she nodded. "We are close tothe Straits of Magellan!"
At that moment the sound of the piano sailed through the door at theend of the corridor. She turned her head slightly, and then moved awayrestlessly. She went to the chair on which I had been sitting andpicked up my Tennyson.
"I know him pretty well," she remarked, turning the pages. She haltedwhere I had inserted a marker.
"'The Princess,'" she said slowly. She drummed her fingers on the leaf,read for a minute or two, and dropped the book lightly. "We have noliterature in comparison with yours, Dr. Phillimore; but we havesometimes done better than that."
"Oh, not than the lyrics," I protested lightly. "_Ask me no more_----"
The music from without broke into louder evidence, and she turnedfrowning towards the door.
> "Do you know, Dr. Phillimore," she asked hesitatingly, "if Mr. Morlandis in his room?"
"He went after lunch," I answered. She stood considering.
"Mademoiselle has a beautiful voice," I said tentatively.
"Oh, yes," she assented. "It is of good quality and training." Her tonewas curt, as if she were unwilling to continue the conversation, butshe still listened.
Einsam Wandelt dein Freund im Fruehlings garten.
It seemed to me that I could almost hear the words in that upliftedmusic. The song has always been a passionate fancy of mine, beguilingthe heart of rock to romance. Sentiment is on wing in every corner ofone's consciousness when that song rises in its fulness and falls inits cadences on one's ears and deeper senses.
In der Spiegelnden Fluth, in Schnee der Alpen.... ... strahlt dein Bildniss.
I could see Mademoiselle Trebizond at the piano with the vision of themind, her soul enrapt, her features transfigured. She was a figment ofthe emotions. And the Princess and I listened, she with a littledubitating look of perplexity, paying me no heed now, and I singularlymoved. I walked down the corridor, past where Princess Alix stood, andas I went by I could have put out my arm and drawn her to me. She waswonderful in her beauty and her pride.
Deutlich schimmert auf jedem purpur blaettchen.
But I went by and opened the door that gave upon the saloon stairs.Instantly the flood of music rolled into the room in a tide, and,glancing back, I saw the Princess stir. She came towards me.
"A voice is a beautiful machine," she said uncertainly as the notesdied away.
I could not answer; but she may have read an answer in my eyes. Shepassed me just as the singer broke into something new, and entered themusic gallery. A shaft of light struck out her figure boldly. I walkedround to the second door at the head of the stairs. Right away in thecorner was Mademoiselle, and by her Sir John Barraclough lounged on thesofa, stroking his moustache uneasily. But my eyes lingered on the twonot at all, for they were drawn forthwith to another sight which filledme with astonishment. The barriers had been removed from several of thewindows, the windows themselves were open, and I could discern thefigures of men gathered without on the deck.
With an exclamation I ran forward, interrupting the mellifluous courseof Schubert's Serenade, and Barraclough started to his feet.
"What is it?" he asked abruptly.
Mademoiselle turned on her stool and regarded me with curiosity, andbehind the Princess was approaching slowly.
"The windows, man!" said I.
Mademoiselle burst into laughter. "It was so dark," she said prettily,"I could not see plainly. I must always have light when I play. And Imade Sir John open them."
Barraclough fidgeted, but turned a cold face on me.
"What's all the fuss about?" he asked surlily.
I pointed to the figures which we could see through the open windows.
"Well, that's my business," he said shortly. "I'm in command, and I'mnot a fool." As he spoke he fingered his revolver.
"Oh, do not be afraid. It is all right," said Mademoiselle cheerfully."See, we will have more open. I will play them something. They arelistening to my music. It will soothe them."
She cast a look at Sir John from her laughing dark eyes, and let herhands down on the keys with a bang, breaking into a jolly air of theboulevards.
"Stay," she cried, stopping quickly, "but I know one of your Englishtunes suitable for the sea. How do you call it? Tom-bolling!"
As she spoke she swerved softly into that favourite air, the Englishwords running oddly from her lips.
"'Ere a sheer 'ulk lies poor Tom Bo-olling..."
From the deck came a burst of applause. She laughed in delight, andwinked up at me.
"I can do more with them than your guns," she said boldly, and wassailing into the next verse when the Princess intervened.
"Mademoiselle," she said in French, "you are inconveniencing theofficers. They have much to do."
Mademoiselle turned about angrily and met the Princess' gaze. Sheseemed about to fly out in a tempest, but as suddenly checked herself,leaving only a little frown on her forehead to witness to herannoyance. She had been engaged in a little triumph that suited hervanity, and she had been called away from it. I really do not thinkthere was anything more than that in it--not then, at any rate. Sherose.
"You are a tyrant, my princess," she said, and nodding sweetly toBarraclough and myself, left the gallery.
Princess Alix followed, her face pale and still. More than ever was Iconvinced that, whatever feelings the lady had inspired in the Prince,his sister was not party to them.