betterthan all the books; and in that moment the new look came upon her face,the look I had seen when the yellow man changed words with her in themorning.
"It's thirteen months three weeks since you went up with Mr. Czerny tothe cathedral at Nice," was my next word; "the days go slow on thisout-of-the-way shore, I'll be bound--until our friends come, Miss Ruth,until we're sure they haven't forgotten us."
I had a meaning in this, and be sure she took it. Not that she answeredme out and away as I wished; for she put on the pretty air of wife andmistress who wouldn't tell any of her husband's secrets.
"Why, yes," she said, very slowly, "the days are long and the nightslonger, and, of course, my husband is much away from here."
I nodded my head and drew the chair she'd offered me close to thetable. On her part she was looking at the clock as though she wishedthat the hands of it might stand still. I read it that we hadn't muchtime to lose, and what we had was no time for fair words.
"Miss Ruth," says I, without more parley, "from what I've seen to-nightI don't doubt that any honest man would be glad to get as far as hecould from Ken's Island and its people at the first opportunity. You'llpardon what a plain seaman is going to say, and count him none the lessa friend for saying it. When you left money in the banker's hands tocommission a ship and bring her to this port, your words to me were, 'Imay have need of you.' Miss Ruth, you have need of me--I should be nomore than a fool if I couldn't see that. You have sore need of me, andif you won't say so for yourself, I take leave to say it for you."
She raised a hand as though she would not hear me--but I was on a clearcourse now, and I held to it in spite of her.
"Yes," I said, "you've need of your friends to-night, and it's a luckywind that brought them to this shore. What has passed, Miss Ruth, inthese months you speak of, it's not for me to ask or inquire. I haveeyes in my head, and they show me what I would give my fortune not tosee. You're unhappy here, Miss Ruth--you're not treated well."
I waited for her to speak; but not a word would she say. White she was,as a flower from her own garden, and once or twice she shivered asthough the cold had struck her. I was just going on to speak again,when what should happen but that her little head went down on the tableand she began to sob as though her heart would break.
"Oh, Jasper Begg, how I have suffered, how I have suffered!" said she,between her sobs; and what could I do, what could any man do who wouldkiss the ground a woman walks upon but has no right or title to? Why,hold his tongue, of course, though it hurt him cruelly to do any suchthing.
"Miss Ruth," said I, very foolish, "please don't think of that now. I'mhere to help you, the ship's here, we're waiting for you to go aboard."
She dried her tears and tried to look up at me with a smile.
"Oh, I'm just a child, just a child again, Jasper," cries she; "a yearago I thought myself a woman, but that's all passed. And I shall nevergo away on your ship, Jasper Begg--never, never. I shall die on Ken'sIsland as so many have died."
I stood up at this and pointed to the clock.
"Little friend," I said, "if you'll put a cloak about your shouldersand leave this house with me I'll have you safe aboard the SouthernCross in twenty minutes by that clock, as God is my witness."
It was no boast--for that I could have done as any seaman knows; andyou may well imagine that I stood as a man struck dumb when I had heranswer.
"Why, yes," she said, "you could put me on board your boat, CaptainJasper, if every step I took was not watched; if every crag had not itssentinel; if there were not a hundred to say 'Go back--go back to yourhome.' Oh, how can you know, how can you guess the things I fear anddread in this awful place? You, perhaps, because the ship is waitingwill be allowed to return to it again. But I, never, never again to mylife's end."
A terrible look crossed her face as she said this, and with one swiftmovement she opened a drawer in the locker where she did her writing,and took from it a little book which she thrust, like a packet, into myhands.
"Read," she said, with startling earnestness, "read that when you areat sea again. I never thought that any other eyes but mine would seeit; but you, Jasper, you shall read it. It will tell you what I myselfcould never tell. Read it as you sail away from here, and then say howyou will come back to help the woman who needs your help so sorely."
I thrust the book into my pocket, but was not to be put off like that.
"Read it I will, every line," said I; "but you don't suppose thatJasper Begg is about to sail away and leave you in this plight, MissRuth! He'd be a pretty sort of Englishman to do that, and it's not inhis constitution, I do assure you!"
She laughed at my earnestness, but recollecting how we stood and whathad befallen since sunset, she would hear no more of it.
"You don't understand; oh, you don't understand!" she cried, veryearnestly; "there's danger here, danger even now while you and I aretalking. Those who have gone out to the wreck will be coming homeagain; they must not find you in this house, Jasper Begg, must not,must not! For my sake, go as you came. Tell all that thought of me howI thank them. Some day, perhaps, you will learn how to help me. I amgrateful to you, Jasper--you know that I am grateful."
She held out both her hands to me, and they lay in mine, and I wastrying to speak a real word from my heart to her when there came a low,shrill whistle from the garden-gate, and I knew that Peter Bligh hadseen something and was calling me.
"Miss Ruth," says I, "that's old Peter Bligh and his danger signal.There'll be some one about, little friend, or he wouldn't do it."
Well, she never said a word. I saw a shadow cross her face, andbelieved she was about to faint. Nor will any one be surprised at thatwhen I say that the door behind us had been opened while we talked, andthere stood Kess Denton, the yellow man, watching us like a hound thatwould bite presently.
CHAPTER VII
IN WHICH HELP COMES FROM THE LAST QUARTER WE HAD EXPECTED IT
Now, no sooner did I see the yellow man than my mind was fully made up,and I determined what harbour to make for. "If you're there, my lad,"said I to myself, "the others are not far behind you. You've seen mecome in, and it's your intention to prevent me going out again. To becaught like a rat in a trap won't serve Ruth Bellenden, and it won'tserve me. I'm for the open, Kess Denton," said I, "and no long whileabout it, either."
This I said, but I didn't mean to play the startled kitten, and withoutany token of surprise or such-like I turned round to Miss Ruth and gaveher "good-evening."
"I'm sorry you're not coming aboard, Mme. Czerny," says I; "we weigh inan hour, and it will be a month or more before I call in again. But yousha'n't wait long for the news if I can help it; and as for yourbrother, Mr. Kenrick, I'll trust to hear from him at 'Frisco and totell you what he thinks on my return. Good-night, madame," said I, "andthe best of health and prosperity."
I held out my hand, and she shook it like one who didn't know what shewas doing. The yellow man came a step nearer and said, "Halloa, myhearty." I nodded my head to him and he put his hand on my shoulder.Poor fool, he thought I was a child, perhaps, and to be treated as one;but I have learnt a thing or two about taking care of myself in Japan,and you couldn't have counted two before I had his arm twisted undermine, and he gave a yell that must have been heard up in the hills.
"If you cry out like that, you'll ruin your beautiful voice," said I;"hasn't any one ever asked you to sing hymns in a choir? Well, I'msurprised. Good-night, my boy; I shall be coming back for your picturebefore many days have passed."
Upon this, I stepped towards the door, and thought that I had done withhim; but no sooner was I out in the garden than something went singingby my ear, and upon that a second dose with two reports which echoed inthe hills like rolling thunder. No written music vas necessary to tellme the kind of tune it was, and I swung round on my heel and grippedthe man by the throat almost before the echoes of the shot had diedaway.
"Kess Denton," said I, "if you will have it, you shall!" and with thatI wrenched the pistol from h
is grasp and struck him a blow over thehead that sent him down without a word.
"One," said I, to myself, "one that helped to make little RuthBellenden suffer;" and with that I set off running and never looked tothe right of me nor to the left until I saw Peter Bligh at the gate andheard his honest voice.
"Is it you--is it you yourself, Mr. Begg? Thank God for that!" crieshe, and it was no longer in a whisper; "there's men in the hills, andSeth Barker