CHAPTER VI
HENRY VEATH
Mr. Veath's abrupt announcement that he was bound for Manila was adecided shock to Grace, Hugh escaping because of his intuitiverevelation. After the revenue man had gone below to lie down awhilebefore luncheon the elopers indulged in an animated discussion ofaffairs under new conditions.
"Well, we can make use of him after we get there, dear," said Hughphilosophically. "He can be a witness and swear to your age when I gofor the license."
"But, Hugh, he thinks we are brother and sister, and we cannot tell himanything to the contrary. It would be awfully embarrassing to tryto explain."
"That's so," mused he. "I doubt whether we could make him believe thatbrothers and sisters marry in Manila. There's just one thing to do."
"It seems to me there are a great many things to do that we didn'tconsider when we started," ventured she.
"We must let him believe we are brother and sister until after we aremarried. Then we'll have the laugh on him. I know it's not very pleasantto explain your own joke, or to tell the other fellow when to laugh, butit seems to be the only way. We can't escape him, you know. He is to beat his post by the twentieth of May."
"After all, I think we ought to be nice to him. We can't put him off theboat and we might just as well be friendly. How would you enjoytravelling to Manila all alone? Just put yourself in his place."
"Maybe he thinks he's lucky to be travelling alone."
"That's very pretty, sir. Would you rather be travelling alone?"
"Not at all. I'm only saying what he may think. The poor devil may bemarried, you know."
"Oh, do you really think so?" cried she.
"He looks a little subdued."
"That's because he's seasick."
"But, to return to our own troubles--you think, then, we would betteradopt Mr. Veath for the voyage and break the news to him impressivelyafter the deed is done?"
"I think so, don't you? It is sure to be embarrassing, any way you putit, isn't it?" she asked, laughing nervously.
"Oh, I don't know," he replied airily. "People of our nerve should notbe embarrassed by anything on earth." He arose and assisted her to herfeet. Then, slipping his arm through hers, he started for thecompanionway. "The prospect of being brother and sister for ten thousandmiles is rather obnoxious to me," he went on. She looked at him insurprise and then blushed faintly. As they descended the steps, he puthis arm around her shoulder. At the bottom he stopped and glancedaround apprehensively, something like alarm appearing in his face. Hisarm slipped from her shoulder to her waist and contracted suddenly.
"What is the matter, Hugh?" she whispered, looking quickly about as ifexpecting a calamity.
"Is any one in sight?" he demanded anxiously.
"I don't see a soul," she answered.
"Then I'm going to give up the brother act for a moment or two. This isa good, sequestered spot, and I'm going to kiss you." And he did so morethan once. "That's the first chance I've had to kiss you since we cameaboard. What an outrage it is that brothers cannot be more attentive totheir own sisters than to other men's sisters."
"It seems to be customary for brothers to neglect their sisters," shesuggested demurely.
"A brother who neglects his sister ought to be horsewhipped," declaredhe.
"Amen to that. They use the cat-o'-nine-tails on board ship, you mustremember," she said, smiling.
Shortly afterward he dropped in to see Veath and was welcomed gladly. Hewas lying in his berth, and Hugh sent for a bottle of his champagne. Twoglasses of the wine put new life into him and something of a sparkleflew to his dull eyes, as if cast there by the bubbling liquor. Histongue loosened a little, Hugh finding him to be a bright, sensiblefellow, somewhat ignorant of the ways of the world, but entirely capableof taking care of himself. Moreover, with the renewed vigor displayingitself, he was far better looking than his new acquaintance had thought.His blue eyes, keen and clear, appealed to Hugh's love forstraightforwardness; his wide mouth bespoke firmness, good nature, andthe full ability to enjoy the humorous side of things. The lines abouthis clean-cut, beardless face were a trifle deep, and there was anetwork of those tiny wrinkles which belong to men of forty-five and notto those of twenty-eight.
Evidently his had not been a life of leisure. As he lounged easily uponthe edge of the berth, Hugh could not but admire his long, straightfigure, the broad shoulders and the pale face with its tenseearnestness.
"Manila, you know, is an important post these days," said Veath."There's a lot of work to be done there in the next few years. I'm fromIndiana. Every able-bodied man in our district who voted right andhasn't anything else to do wants a government job. Of course, most ofthem want to be consul-generals, postmasters, or heads of bureaus, butthere are some of us who will take the best thing that is offered.That's why I am going to Manila. Politics, you know, and my uncle'sinfluence with the administration." Ridgeway observed that wine madeloquacious a man who was naturally conservative. "Where are you going?"he continued.
"We are going to Manila."
"What!" gasped Veath. "You don't mean it!"
"Certainly. Why not?" and Hugh smiled delightedly over the sensation hehad created.
"Why--why, it seems improbable," stammered Veath. "I had looked uponManila as the most wretched hole in the world, and yet I find you goingthere, evidently from choice."
"Well, you'll have to change your opinion now," said Hugh.
"I do--forthwith. It cannot be such a bad place or you wouldn't betaking your sister there. May I ask what is your object in goingto Manila?"
Hugh turned red in the face and stooped over to flick an imaginaryparticle of dust from his trousers' leg. There was but one object intheir going and he had not dreamed of being asked what it was. He couldnot be employed forever in brushing away that speck, and yet he couldnot, to save his life, construct an answer to Veath's question. In themidst of his despair a sudden resolution came, and he looked up, hislips twitching with suppressed laughter.
"We are going as missionaries."
He almost laughed aloud at the expression on Veath's face. It revealedthe utmost dismay. There was a moment's silence, and then the man in theberth said slowly:
"Is Miss Ridge a--a missionary also?"
"The very worst kind," replied Hugh cheerily.
"Going out among the natives, I suppose?"
"What natives?"
"Why,--the Igorrotes, or whatever they are, of course."
"Oh, of course--to be sure," cried Hugh hastily. "I am so d--dabsent-minded."
Veath stared in amazement.
"You must not think it strange that I swear," said Hugh, mopping hisbrow. "I am not the missionary, you know."
"Oh," was the other's simple exclamation. Another pause and then, "Youdon't mean to say that such a beautiful woman is going to waste her lifeamong savages?"
"She's got her head set on it and we think the only way to break her ofit is to give her a sample of the work. I am going with her ostensiblyto protect, but really to make her life miserable."
"I rather admire her devotion to the church," said Veath, still a trifledazed.
"She's a great crank on religion," admitted Hugh. Then he could feelhimself turn pale. He was passing Grace off as a missionary, and therebyplacing her under restrictions that never before had entered into hergay life. Veath would treat her as if she were of fragile glass and itwould not be long until the whole boat would be staring at the beautifulgirl who was going to the heathen. Remorse struck him and he tried toflounder out of the position.
GRACE VERNON]
"I should not have said that about her views. You would never take herto be an ardent church-member, and she is particularly averse to beingcalled a missionary. The truth about the matter is that very fewpeople home know about this move of hers and there is no one on ship whoeven suspects. She would not have had me tell it for the world."
"My dear Mr. Ridge, don't let that trouble you. She shall never knowthat you have t
old me and I shall never repeat it. Please rest assured;her wishes in the matter are most certainly to be considered sacred,"cried Veath warmly.
"Thanks, old man," said Hugh, very much relieved. "Your hand on that. Iam not sorry I told you, for I'm sure you will be careful. She objectsto the--the--well, the notoriety of the thing, you know. Hates to beglared at, questioned, and all that sort of thing."
"She is very sensible in that respect. I have but little use for thepeople who parade their godliness."
"That's just the way she looks at it. She would be uncomfortable all theway over if she thought that a single person knew of her intentions.Funny girl that way."
"If I were you, I don't believe I'd tell any one else," said Veathhesitatingly.
"That's all right, Veath. Depend upon me, I'll not breathe it to anothersoul. It shall not go a bit farther. Grace wants to go about the goodwork as quietly as possible. Still, I am bound to make her forget theheathen and return to America another woman altogether." Mr. Veath, ofcourse, did not understand the strange smile that flitted over hiscompanion's face as he uttered the last remark. "I'm glad I met you,Veath; we'll get along famously, I'm sure. There's no reason why weshouldn't make the voyage a jolly one. I think we'd better get ready forluncheon," said Hugh, looking at his watch.
Hugh took his departure, and fifteen minutes later was seated at one ofthe tables in the dining-room with Grace beside him. He had told her ofthe missionary story and was trying to smile before her display ofgenuine annoyance.
"But I don't want him to treat me as if I were a missionary," shepouted. "What fun can a missionary have?"
"Oho, you want to have fun with him, eh? That's the way the wind blows,is it? I'll just tell Mr. Veath that you pray night and day, and thatyou don't like to be disturbed. What do you suppose he'd be if heinterrupted a woman's prayers?" demanded he, glaring at her halfjealously.
"He'd be a heathen and I should have to enlighten him," she answeredsweetly.
Just then Mr. Veath entered the saloon and took a seat beside her. Shelooked surprised, as did Mr. Ridgeway. They looked to the far end of thetable and saw that Veath's original chair was occupied by another man.
"I traded seats with that fellow," murmured Veath, a trifle red aboutthe ears. Miss Vernon's face assumed a stony expression for an instant,but the gleam of pure frankness in his eyes dispelled her momentarydisapproval. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked hastily.
"Not at all, Mr. Veath," she said, forgetting that a moment before shehad considered him presumptuous. "On the contrary, I think it is so muchnicer to have you on this side of the table. We can talk without havingeverybody in the room hear us."
"I have just heard that we are bound for the same destination and we cancertainly speculate among ourselves as to the outcome of our individualand collective pilgrimages. We can talk about shipwrecks, pirates,simoons, cholera, sea serpents--"
"And the heathen," said Hugh maliciously, but not looking up from hisplate.
"Ahem!" coughed loyal Mr. Veath.
"Are there any heathen over there?" asked Miss Vernon very innocentlybut also very maliciously. She smiled at Hugh, who leaned far back inhis chair and winked solemnly at the bewildered Veath. That gentleman,manlike, interpreted Hugh's wink as the means of conveying theinformation that the tactful young lady asked the question merely tothrow him off the scent. So he answered very politely but verycarefully.
"I hear there are more missionaries than heathen."
"Indeed? Don't you think that the women who go out as missionaries amongthose vile creatures are perfect idiots, Mr. Veath?"
"Well,--ahem, ah," stammered Veath, "I can't say that I do. I think, ifyou will permit me to disagree with you, that they are the noblestwomen in the world."
"Excellent sentiment, Veath," said the merry Ridgeway, "and quite worthyof endorsement by this misguided sister of mine. She despises theheathen, you know."
"Oh, I am sure she does not despise them," cried Veath.
"But I do--I think they ought to be burned alive!"
A dead silence, during which the two men were unnecessarily intent uponthe contents of their plates, followed this explosion. Miss Vernondemurely smiled to herself, and finally kicked Hugh's foot. He laughedaloud suddenly and insanely and then choked. Veath grew very red in theface, perhaps through restraint. The conversation from that moment wasstrained until the close of the meal, and they did not meet at allduring dinner.
"Perhaps we have offended him," said Grace as they strolled along thedeck that evening.
"It's probable that he thinks we are blamed fools and does not care towaste his time on us."
"Then why did he change his seat?"
"Evidently did not want us to be staring him out of countenance all thetime. I notice, sister, that he took the seat next to yours and not tomine," remarked he insinuatingly.
"Which proves that _he_ is no fool, brother," she retorted.