CHAPTER XV
MUTUAL SURPRISES
The Mainwaring party was among the latest arrivals at the pier onthe following day, owing to the dilatoriness of Mr. Thornton, Mrs.Mainwaring's efforts to the contrary notwithstanding. At the lastmoment he appeared, serenely and smilingly unconscious of thatlady's frowns of displeasure, to the infinite amusement of hisdaughter, who whispered to Miss Carleton,--
"Poor papa! See how auntie glares at him, and he does not evenknow it."
But even Mrs. Mainwaring's facial muscles relaxed slightly at thesight of the beautiful ocean greyhound lying in the harbor, herflags waving and streamers fluttering in the breeze, awaiting onlythe captain's orders to start on her homeward course.
The decks were crowded with humanity, for the most part laughingand chatting gayly and singing bits of song, though here and therewere sad, tear-stained faces, where long farewells, some of themperhaps the last farewells, were being spoken.
"Thank heaven, there'll be no tears shed on this occasion!" saidIsabel Mainwaring; "unless," she added, with a glance of scorntowards Miss Carleton's escort, "Mr. Whitney should contribute afew. I detest such vulgar demonstrations in public!"
The attorney certainly did not look very cheerful, and even MissCarleton's sunny face was somewhat overcast, though why, it wouldseem difficult to determine, since she seemed to have no regretsat leaving America.
"Mercy me!" ejaculated Mrs. Mainwaring, "what a dreadful crowd! Itis far worse than when we came over. Hugh, I wonder if your fatherexamined the ship's list. I particularly requested him to do so.I wished to ascertain whether there would be any friends of ours onboard. One does not care to make acquaintances promiscuously, youknow."
"I don't think the governor investigated the subject verythoroughly," young Mainwaring replied, with a laugh. "I noticedwhen we registered there were three or four pages of names precedingours, and I don't think he gave the matter much attention. If I hadtime I would look it up for you, mother, but we must go ashore ina few moments."
"If I am not mistaken, my dear lady," said Mr. Thornton, who hadoverheard the conversation, "you will have little time or inclinationfor looking up acquaintances on this trip."
"May I ask why?" Mrs. Mainwaring demanded.
"I think," he replied, maliciously, "that you and Isabel will be toomuch occupied in cultivating the acquaintance of mal de mer to carefor your best friends."
"How's that, Thornton? Think it will be rough?" inquired RalphMainwaring.
"The captain tells me the wind is freshening every moment, and we'llhave a decidedly choppy sea before night. I'm thinking we'll have anasty trip."
"In that case, perhaps mamma and I will not be the only victims,"said Isabel Mainwaring.
"I fear not," responded Mr. Thornton. "Were it not or my inherentchivalry, I should turn back; but I cannot leave you ladies to meetyour fate alone."
Amid the general confusion of leave-taking, Mr. Whitney turnedtowards Miss Carleton, saying in a low tone, as he took her hand,--
"I have received cordial invitations both from yourself and Mr.Thornton to visit your home, and I feel assured of a welcome shouldI accept your courtesy; but, pardon me, Miss Carleton, if, after sobrief an acquaintance as ours, I inquire whether I might ever hopefor a welcome from you other than that of a friend?"
The beautiful brown eyes met his own frankly, but all the laughterand sunshine had gone out of them. They were serious and had almosta look of pain.
"I am sorry, Mr. Whitney," she said, simply; "but it would be veryunjust if I led you to hope that I could ever regard you other thanas an esteemed friend."
"Pardon me for troubling you," he said, gently. "Believe me alwaysyour friend, and forget that I ever asked for more than friendship,"and, releasing her hand, he passed on to the others.
The final adieus were spoken; Ralph Mainwaring and his son,accompanied by the attorney, went ashore; and Miss Carleton, notcaring just then to meet the curious glances of her companions,walked slowly towards the forward part of the deck. She had gonebut a few steps, however, when she caught sight of the familiarfigure of Mr. Merrick at a little distance, in conversation with atall, slender man, with dark, piercing eyes. He was speakingrapidly in low tones, but his usually non-committal face wore anexpression of unmistakable satisfaction. Suddenly he turned andwalked swiftly in Miss Carleton's direction. Their eyes met, andin response to her glance of recognition he quickly crossed towhere she was standing.
"I have but a few seconds left, Miss Carleton," he said, a genialsmile lighting up his face; "but I am glad of an opportunity towish you a pleasant trip. Are you a good sailor?"
"I hardly know," she answered. "I have had so little experience onthe sea. Why? Shall we have a stormy passage, do you think?"
"Nothing dangerous; a little rough, perhaps; but with congenialcompany, such as I trust you will find," and his eyes gleamed withkindly merriment, "you will hardly mind that. Good-by, MissCarleton; bon voyage; and if I can ever in any way serve you as afriend, do not fail to command me," and before she could reply hehad vanished in the crowd. She looked in vain for any trace ofhim; then turning to glance at his companion of a moment before,discovered that he had disappeared also.
A moment later the great ocean liner glided majestically out fromthe harbor amid prolonged cheers and a final flutter of farewells;but she was well out upon the tossing waves ere Miss Carleton turnedfrom watching the receding shore to join her friends, as yet havingfound no solution of the problem perplexing her, nor even themeaning which she felt must be concealed in the words of thedetective.
They had not been out many hours before it became evident that Mr.Thornton's unfavorable predictions regarding their journey werelikely to be fulfilled. The sea was decidedly "choppy" and themotion of the boat anything but exhilarating.
When the hour for dinner arrived, Mr. Thornton, his daughter, andMiss Carleton were the only members of their party to venture forthto the dining-saloon, the others preferring to have a light repastserved in their own apartments. The captain, having discovered inMr. Thornton an old-time friend, had ordered seats for him and hisparty at his own table, and the young ladies, finding their appetitesrather an uncertain quantity, had plenty of opportunity for observingtheir fellow-passengers, particularly an Anglomaniac of the mostpronounced type, in the person of a callow youth seated oppositethem, whose monocle, exaggerated collar, and affected drawl affordedthem considerable amusement.
"Winifred," said Miss Thornton, as they were leaving thedining-saloon, "do you see that young Englishman at the farthertable?"
Her cousin glanced carelessly in the direction indicated, noting thefine, athletic figure seated, back towards them, at some distance,attired in heavy English tweed.
"Yes. What of him?"
"Nothing in particular; only the sight of him is such a relief, youknow, after that wretched caricature at our table."
"Poor little harmless dudelet!" mused Winifred, with a smile; "hisself-complacency will be short-lived whenever he meets Isabel. Shewill simply annihilate him with one of those glances of hers!"
At Miss Carleton's suggestion, they went on deck; but Edith grew sorapidly ill that her cousin assisted her below to their own elegantsuite of apartments, which adjoined, on one side, those occupied byMrs. Mainwaring and her daughter, while on the other was comfortablestate-room belonging to Mrs. Hogarth.
Finding Mrs. Mainwaring and Isabel already reduced to a state ofabject helplessness which required the attendance of both maids aswell as of the stewardess, Miss Carleton left Edith in Mrs. Hogarth'scare, and, wrapping herself warmly, again went on deck. The wind wasincreasing and she found the decks nearly deserted, but the solitudeand the storm suited her mood just then, and, wrapping her rugclosely about her, she seated herself in a comparatively shelteredplace, alone with her own thoughts.
As she recalled the parting interview with Mr. Whitney, another faceseemed to flash before her vision, and a half-formed query, whichhad been
persistently haunting her for the last few hours, now tookdefinite shape and demanded a reply. What would have been the resultif that other, instead of leaving without one word of farewell, hadasked for the hope of something better and deeper than friendship?What would her answer have been? Even in the friendly shadow of thedeepening twilight she shrank from facing the truth gradually forcingitself upon her.
A solitary figure pacing the deck aroused her from her revery. Ashe approached she recognized the young Englishman of whom Edith hadspoken. Dressed in warm jacket, with cap well pulled down over hiseyes and hands clasped behind him, he strode the rolling deck withstep as firm and free as though walking the streets of his nativecity. She watched him with admiration, till something in hiscarriage reminded her of the young secretary at Fair Oaks, and inthe sudden thrill of pleasure produced by that reminder there wasrevealed to her inner consciousness a confirmation of the truth shesought to evade.
She watched the retreating figure with flashing eyes and burningcheeks. "It is not true!" she exclaimed, to herself, passionately."I do not care for him! It was only a fancy, a foolish infatuation,of which, thank heaven, neither he nor any one else shall ever know."
But the monarch who had taken possession of her heart, call him bywhat name she chose, was not to be so easily dethroned.
Meanwhile, the young English stranger passed and repassed, unconsciousof the figure in the shadow, unconscious of the aversion with whichone of his countrywomen regarded him because of his resemblance toanother. He, too, was vainly seeking the solution of problems whichbaffled him at every turn, and waging an ineffectual warfare againstthe invisible but potent sovereign--Love.
All that night the storm raged with increasing fury, and morningfound the entire Mainwaring party "on the retired list," as MissCarleton expressed it. She herself was the last to succumb, butfinally forced to an ignominious surrender, she submitted to theinevitable with as good grace as possible, only stipulating thatshe be left entirely to herself.
Towards night the storm abated slightly, and, weary of her ownthoughts, which bad been anything but agreeable, and bored by thesociety of her companions in misery, she wrapped her rug warmlyabout her and ventured out on deck. The air, laden with saltspray, seemed invigorating, and without much difficulty she foundher way to her sheltered corner of the preceding evening. She hadbeen seated but a few moments, however, when the young Englishmanmade his appearance, as preoccupied and unconscious of hissurroundings and as free from any symptoms of discomfort as whenshe had last seen him. The sight of him was the signal for thereturn of the thoughts which had that day kept her company. Shecast a wrathful glance upon the unconscious young stranger justthen passing, his perfect health and evident good humor underexisting circumstances adding to her sense of injury andexasperation. She grew ill, and determined to return at once toher apartments, but found her progress against the gale slower andmore difficult than she had anticipated. Dizzy and faint, she hadjust reached the stairs when a sudden lurch threw her violently toone side; she staggered helplessly and would have fallen, but atthat instant a strong arm was thrown about her and she felt herselflifted bodily. With a sigh of relief she turned her head towardsher rescuer, supposing him one of the officers of the ship, only todiscover, to her horror, that she was in the arms of the youngEnglishman. His face was in the shadow, but the light falling onher own face revealed her features, and at that instant she heard asmothered exclamation,--
"Great heavens! can it be possible?"
Something in the tone startled her and she listened, hoping he wouldspeak again. He did not; but she noted the tenderness with whichshe was borne down the stairs and put in care of the stewardess.Again she listened eagerly for his voice, but his words were briefand in an altered tone.
During the succeeding twenty-four hours in which Miss Carleton tossedin misery, one thought was uppermost in her mind,--to discover, ifpossible, the identity of the stranger who had come to her assistance.The only information obtainable, however, was that he was evidentlya gentleman of wealth, travelling alone, and apparently with noacquaintance on board with the exception of a young English officer.She determined, at the earliest possible moment, to meet hermysterious rescuer and thank him for his kindness, but was unableto carry her plan into immediate execution. Meantime, she learnedthat he had twice inquired for her.
On Sunday afternoon, their fourth day out, the storm had ceased andthe weather was gradually clearing, and Miss Carleton, somewhat palebut quite herself again, came out for a promenade. She found quitea number of passengers on deck, but for some time she looked in vainfor her unknown friend. At last, after several brisk turns, shesaw him standing at a little distance, talking with the tall,dark-eyed man whom she had seen in conversation with Mr. Merrick.The younger man's cap was thrown back, revealing to Miss Carletonthe fine profile, almost classical in its beauty, of the secretaryat Fair Oaks. For a moment her pulse throbbed wildly. She felt athrill of pleasure, not unmingled with a twinge of the resentmentwhich she had been nursing for the last few days. Then she walkedcalmly in his direction, saying to herself,--
"At least, I will thank him for his kindness. I am no love-lornpeasant maid wearing my heart upon my sleeve!"
She had nearly reached his side, though he was unaware of herpresence, when the young English officer approached from the otherside and, slapping him familiarly upon the shoulder, exclaimed,--
"Well, Mainwaring, my boy, you've kept your sea-legs well on thistrip."
The tall, dark-eyed man withdrew, and Miss Carleton, utterlybewildered, turned and slowly retraced her steps. Mainwaring! Whatdid it mean? She heard the name distinctly, and he had taken it asa matter of course, replying pleasantly and quietly, as though hehad known no other name. The mystery which she had thought to solvehad only deepened tenfold. She was aroused by the cheery voice ofthe captain.
"Well, well, Miss Carleton, glad to see you out! I congratulateyou on your speedy recovery. How are the ladies? and how is myold friend Thornton?"
They took a few turns up and down, chatting pleasantly, till MissCarleton, looking into the face overflowing with kindliness andgood humor, said,--
"Captain, I have a great favor to ask of you."
"Granted, my dear young lady, to the half of my kingdom!"
"May I have your permission to examine the list of cabin passengers?"
The captain elevated his shaggy eyebrows and his eyes twinkled withmerriment. "Ah! anxious to learn if some particular friend is onboard, I suppose. Some one was inquiring of me the other nightregarding your identity."
"Indeed!" said Miss Carleton, a world of inquiry in her eyes.
"Yes; Mr. Mainwaring, the gentleman conversing with Lieutenant Cohenover there. He and I both went to your assistance the other evening,but, much to my regret, he was quicker than I. He remarked to meafter he came back on deck that he had supposed you were a stranger,but that your face looked familiar. He asked your name, and whetheryou were with Mr. Thornton and his daughter, stating that he had metyou. Correct, I presume?"
"Quite so," said Miss Carleton, quietly.
"And now about that passenger list, Miss Carleton; you have mypermission to examine it, and I will accompany you myself."
She thanked him. "Are you acquainted with Mr. Mainwaring?" sheinquired, carelessly.
"Never met him until this trip. On first learning his name, Isupposed him to be a member of your party, as he is evidently agentleman; but I soon learned that he was alone."
A few moments later the register was opened for Miss Carleton'sinspection, but she did not have to search long. Half-way down thefirst page she found, in the familiar writing of the secretary, thename which she sought--"Harold Scott Mainwaring."