CHAPTER XLVI
MR. WATSON IS ASTONISHED
At dinner-time Mr. Sabin was the most silent of the little quartette whooccupied the head of the table. The captain, who had discovered thatnotwithstanding their stoppage they had made a very fair day's run, andhad just noticed a favourable change in the wind, was in a betterhumour, and on the whole was disposed to feel satisfied with himself forthe way he had repulsed the captain of the _Kaiser Wilhelm_. He departedfrom his usual custom so far as to drink a glass of Mr. Sabin'schampagne, having first satisfied himself as to the absence of anyprobability of fog. Mr. Watson, too, was making an effort to appearamiable, and his wife, though her colour seemed a trifle hectic and herlaughter not altogether natural, contributed her share to theconversation. Mr. Sabin alone was curiously silent and distant. Manytimes he had escaped death by what seemed almost a fluke; more oftenthan most men he had been at least in danger of losing it. But this lastadventure had made a distinct and deep impression upon him. He had notseriously believed that the man Watson was prepared to go to suchlengths; he recognised for the first time his extreme danger. Then asregards the woman he was genuinely puzzled. He owed her his life, hecould not doubt it. She had given him the warning by which he hadprofited, and she had given it him behind his companion's back. He wasstrongly inclined to believe in her. Still, she was doubtless in fear ofthe man. Her whole appearance denoted it. She was still, without doubt,his tool, willing or unwilling.
They lingered longer than usual over their dessert. It was noticeablethat throughout their conversation all mention of the events of the daywas excluded. A casual remark of Mr. Watson's the captain had ignored.There was an obvious inclination to avoid the subject. The captain wason the _qui vive_ all the time, and he promptly quashed any embarrassingremark. So far as Mrs. Watson was concerned there was certainly no fearof her exhibiting any curiosity. It was hard to believe that she was thesame woman who had virtually taken the conversation into her own handson the previous evening, and had talked to them so well and so brightly.She sat there, white and cowed, looking a great deal at Mr. Sabin withsad, far-away eyes, and seldom originating a remark. Mr. Watson, on thecontrary, talked incessantly, in marked contrast to his previoussilence; he drank no wine, but seemed in the best of spirits. Only oncedid he appear at a loss, and that was when the captain, helping himselfto some nuts, turned towards Mr. Sabin and asked a question--
"I wonder, Mr. Sabin, whether you ever heard of an Indian nut called, Ibelieve, the Fakella? They say that an oil distilled from its kernel isthe most deadly poison in the world."
"I have both heard of it and seen it," Mr. Sabin answered. "In fact, Imay say, that I have tasted it--on the tip of my finger."
"And yet," the captain remarked, laughing, "you are alive."
"And yet I am alive," Mr. Sabin echoed. "But there is nothing verywonderful in that. I am poison-proof."
Mr. Watson was in the act of raising a hastily filled glass to his lipswhen his eyes met Mr. Sabin's. He set it down hurriedly, white to thelips. He knew, then! Surely there must be something supernatural aboutthe man. A conviction of his own absolute impotence suddenly laid holdof him. He was completely shaken. Of what use were the ordinary weaponsof his kind against an antagonist such as this? He knew nothing of thesilent evidence against him on deck. He could only attribute Mr. Sabin'sforeknowledge of what had been planned against him to the miraculous. Hestumbled to his feet, and muttering something about some cigars, lefthis place. Mrs. Watson rose almost immediately afterwards. As she turnedto walk down the saloon she dropped her handkerchief. Mr. Sabin, who hadrisen while she passed out, stooped down and picked it up. She took itwith a smile of thanks and whispered in his ear--
"Come on deck with me quickly; I want to speak to you."
He obeyed, turning round and making some mute sign to the captain. Shewalked swiftly up the stairs after a frightened glance down the corridorto their state-rooms. A fresh breeze blew in their faces as they steppedout on deck, and Mr. Sabin glanced at her bare neck and arms.
"You will be cold," he said. "Let me fetch you a wrap."
"Don't leave me," she exclaimed quickly. "Walk to the side of thesteamer. Don't look behind."
Mr. Sabin obeyed. Directly she was sure that they were really beyondearshot of any one she laid her hand upon his arm.
"I am going to ask you a strange question," she said. "Don't stop tothink what it means, but answer me at once. Where are you going to sleepto-night--in your state-room or in the deck cabin?"
He started a little, but answered without hesitation--
"In my deck cabin."
"Then don't," she exclaimed quickly. "Say that you are going to if youare asked, mind that. Sit up on deck, out of sight, all night, stay withthe captain--anything--but don't sleep there, and whatever you may seedon't be surprised, and please don't think too badly of me."
He was surprised to see that her cheeks were burning and her eyes werewet. He laid his hand tenderly upon her arm.
"I will promise that at any rate," he said.
"And you will remember what I have told you?"
"Most certainly," he promised. "Your warnings are not things to bedisregarded."
She drew a quick little breath and looked nervously over her shoulders.
"I am afraid," he said kindly, "that you are not well to-day. Has thatfellow been frightening or ill-using you?"
Her face was very close to his, and he fancied that he could hear herteeth chattering. She was obviously terrified.
"We must not be talking too seriously," she murmured. "He may be here atany moment. I want you to remember that there is a price set upon youand he means to earn it. He would have killed you before, but he wantsto avoid detection. You had better tell the captain everything.Remember, you must be on the watch always."
"I can protect myself now that I am warned," he said, reassuringly. "Ihave carried my life in my hands many a time before. But you?"
She shivered.
"They tell me," she whispered, "that from Boston you can take a trainright across the Continent, thousands of miles. I am going to take thevery first one that starts when I land, and I am going to hide somewherein the furthest corner of the world I can get to. To live in such fearwould drive me mad, and I am not a coward. Let us walk; he will notthink so much of our being together then."
"I am going to send for a wrap," he said, looking down at her thindinner dress; "it is much too cold for you here bare-headed. We willsend the steward for something."
They turned round to find a tall form at their elbows. Mr. Watson'svoice, thin and satirical, broke the momentary silence.
"You are in a great hurry for fresh air, Violet. I have brought yourcape; allow me to put it on."
He stooped down and threw the wrap over her shoulders. Then he drew herreluctant fingers through his arm.
"You were desiring to walk," he said. "Very well, we will walktogether."
Mr. Sabin watched them disappear and, lighting a cigar, strolled offtowards the captain's room. Many miles away now he could still see thegreen light of the German man-of-war.