CHAPTER XLIII
THE COMING OF THE "KAISER WILHELM"
The habit of early rising was one which Mr. Sabin had never cultivated,and breakfast was a meal which he abhorred. It was not until nearlymidday on the following morning that he appeared on deck, and he hadscarcely exchanged his customary greeting with the captain, before hewas joined by Mr. Watson, who had obviously been on the look-out forhim.
"I want, sir," the latter commenced, "to apologise to you for my conductlast night."
Mr. Sabin looked at him keenly.
"There is no necessity for anything of the sort," he said. "If anyapology is owing at all, it is, I think, to your wife."
Mr. Watson shook his head vigorously.
"No, sir," he declared, "I am ashamed to say that I am not very clear asto the actual expressions I made, but Mrs. Watson has assured me that mybehaviour to you was discourteous in the extreme."
"I hope you will think no more of it. I had already," Mr. Sabin said,"forgotten the circumstance. It is not of the slightest consequence."
"You are very good," Mr. Watson said softly.
"I had the pleasure," Mr. Sabin remarked, "of an interestingconversation with your wife last night. You are a very fortunate man."
"I think so indeed, sir," Mr. Watson replied modestly.
"American women," Mr. Sabin continued, looking meditatively out to sea,"are very fascinating."
"I have always found them so," Mr. Watson agreed.
"Mrs. Watson," Mr. Sabin said, "told me so much that was interestingabout your wonderful country that I am looking forward to my visit morethan ever."
Mr. Watson darted a keen glance at his companion. He was suddenly on hisguard. For the first time he realised something of the resources of thisman with whom he had to deal.
"My wife," he said, "knows really very little of her native country; shehas lived nearly all her life abroad."
"So I perceived," Mr. Sabin answered. "Shall we sit down a moment, Mr.Watson? One wearies so of this incessant promenading, and there is alittle matter which I fancy that you and I might discuss withadvantage."
Mr. Watson obeyed in silence. This was a wonderful man with whom he hadto deal. Already he felt that all the elaborate precautions of hiscoming had been wasted. He might be Mr. James B. Watson, the New Yorkyacht owner and millionaire, to the captain and his seven passengers,but he was nothing of the sort to Mr. Sabin. He shrugged his shoulders,and followed him to a seat. After all silence was a safe card.
"I'm going," Mr. Sabin said, "to be very frank with you. I know, ofcourse, who you are."
Mr. Watson shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you?" he remarked dryly.
Mr. Sabin bowed, with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
"Certainly," he answered, "you are Mr. James B. Watson of New York, andthe lady with you is your wife. Now I want to tell you a little aboutmyself."
"Most interested, I'm sure," Mr. Watson murmured.
"My real name," Mr. Sabin said, turning a little as though to face hiscompanion, "is Victor Duc de Souspennier. It suits me at present totravel under the name by which I was known in England and by which youare in the habit of addressing me. Mr. Watson, I'm leaving Englandbecause a certain scheme of mine, which, if successful, would haverevolutionised the whole face of Europe, has by a most unfortunatechance become a failure. I have incurred thereby the resentment, perhapsI should say the just resentment, of a great nation. I am on my way tothe country where I concluded I should be safest against those means of,shall I say, retribution, or vengeance, which will assuredly be usedagainst me. Now what I want to say to you, Mr. Watson, is this--I am arich man, and I value my life at a great deal of money. I wonder if byany chance you understand me."
Mr. Watson smiled.
"I'm curious to know," he said softly, "at what price you valueyourself."
"My account in New York," Mr. Sabin said quietly, "is, I believe,something like ten thousand pounds."
"Fifty thousand dollars," Mr. Watson remarked, "is a nice little sum forone, but an awkward amount to divide."
Mr. Sabin lit a cigarette and breathed more freely. He began to see hisway.
"I forgot the lady," he murmured. "The expense of cabling is not great.For the sake of argument, let us say twenty thousand."
Mr. Watson rose.
"So far as I'm concerned," he said, "it is a satisfactory sum. Forgiveme if I leave you for a few minutes, I must have a little talk with Mrs.Watson."
Mr. Sabin nodded.
"We will have a cigar together after lunch," he said. "I must have mymorning game of shuffleboard with the captain."
Mr. Watson went below, and Mr. Sabin played shuffleboard with his usualdeadly skill.
A slight mist had settled around them by the time the game was over,and the fog-horn was blowing, the captain went on the bridge, and theengines were checked to half speed.
Mr. Sabin leaned over the side of the vessel, and gazed thoughtfullyinto the dense white vapour.
"I think," he said softly to himself, "that after all I'm safe."
There was perfect silence on the ship. Even the luncheon gong had notsounded, the passengers having been summoned in a whisper by the decksteward. The fog seemed to be getting denser and the sea was like glass.Suddenly there was a little commotion aft, and the captain leaningforward shouted some brief orders. The fog-horn emitted a series ofspasmodic and hideous shrills, and beyond a slight drifting the steamerwas almost motionless.
Mr. Sabin understood at once that somewhere, it might be close at hand,or it might be a mile away, the presence of another steamer had beendetected.
The same almost ghostlike stillness continued, orders were passedbackward and forward in whispers. The men walked backward and forward ontip-toe. And then suddenly, without any warning, they passed out intothe clear air, the mist rolled away, the sun shone down upon them again,and the decks dried as though by magic. Cheerful voices broke in uponthe chill and unnatural silence. The machinery recommenced to throb, andthe passengers who had finished lunch went upon deck. Every one wasattracted at once by the sight of a large white steamer about a mile onthe starboard side.
Mr. Watson joined the captain, who was examining her through his glass.
"Man-of-war, isn't she?" he inquired.
The captain nodded.
"Not much doubt about that," he answered; "look at her guns. The oddpart of it is, too, she is flying no flag. We shall know who she isin a minute or two, though."
Mr. Sabin descended the steps on his way to a late luncheon. As heturned the corner he came face to face with Mr. Watson, whose eyes werefixed upon the coming steamer with a very curious expression.
"Man-of-war," Mr. Sabin remarked. "You look as though you had seen herbefore."
Mr. Watson laughed harshly.
"I should like to see her," he remarked, "at the bottom of the sea."
Mr. Sabin looked at him in surprise.
"You know her, then?" he remarked.
"I know her," Mr. Watson answered, "too well. She is the _KaiserWilhelm_, and she is going to rob me of twenty thousand pounds."