Part 17 (1/2)

”I am sure you would.”

”Then, my dear fellow, you must really take me a little more into your confidence, and let me help you,” said Barker, in the tone of an injured man.

”Perhaps I ought,” said Claudius.

”Then why will you not tell me what has happened now?”

”Because I won't,” said Claudius, turning sharply on Barker, and speaking in a voice that seemed to make the railings shake. He was evidently on the point of losing his temper, and Barker repented him too late of his attempt to extract the required information. Now he changed his tone.

”Excuse me, Claudius, I did not mean to offend you.”

”You did not offend me at all, Barker. But please--do not ask me any more questions about it.” Claudius was perfectly calm again.

”No indeed, my dear fellow, I would not think of it;--and I don't seem to think that I should advise anybody else to,” he added mentally. He made up his mind that it must be something very serious, or Claudius, who was so rarely excited, would hardly have behaved as he had done. He made a few remarks about the weather, which had certainly not improved since morning; and then, resolving that he would find out what was the matter before he was much older, he glided down the ladder and went aft.

Lady Victoria had disappeared, and her brother was trying to light a short black pipe.

”Duke,” Barker began, ”what the deuce is the matter with Claudius this morning?”

”Don't know, I'm sure. My sister thinks it is very odd.”

”Well, if you don't know, I don't either, but I can make a pretty good guess.”

The Duke's vesuvian was sputtering in the spray and wind, and he got a good light before he answered.

”I'll take six to four he marries her, at all events.”

”I don't go in for playing it as low down as that on my friends,” said Barker virtuously, ”or I would take you in hundreds. You must be crazy.

Can't you see he has shown up and is sold? Bah! it's all over, as sure as you're born.”

”Think that's it?” said the other, much interested. ”You may be right.

Glad you would not bet, anyhow.”

”Of course that's it. The idiot has proposed to her here, on board, and she has refused him, and now he has to face the fury of the elements to keep out of her way.”

”Upon my soul, it looks like it,” said the Duke. ”He won't stay on the bridge much longer if this lasts, though.”

”You had best ask your sister,” answered Barker. ”Women always know those things first. What do you say to a game? It is beastly dirty weather to be on the deck watch.” And so they pushed forward to the smoking-room, just before the bridge, and settled themselves for the day with a pack of cards and a box of cigars.

As Margaret had not put in an appearance at breakfast, which was a late and solid meal on board, and as there was no other regular congregation of the party until dinner, for each one lunched as he or she pleased, it was clear that the Countess and Claudius would not be brought together until the evening. Margaret was glad of this for various reasons, some definable and others vague. She felt that she must have misjudged Claudius a little, and she was glad to see that her exhibition of displeasure on the previous night had been sufficient to keep him away.

Had he been as tactless as she had at first thought, he would surely have sought an early opportunity of speaking to her alone, and the rest of the party were so much used to seeing them spend their mornings together that such an opportunity would not have been lacking, had he wished it. And if he had misunderstood her words and manner--well, if he had not thought they were meant as a decisive check, he would have followed her there and then, last night, when she left him. She felt a little nervous about his future conduct, but for the present she was satisfied, and prepared herself for the inevitable meeting at dinner with a certain feeling of a.s.surance. ”For,” said she, ”I do not love him in the least, and why should I be embarra.s.sed?”

Not so poor Claudius, who felt the blood leave his face and rush wildly to his heart, as he entered the saloon where the party were sitting down to dinner. The vessel was rolling heavily, for the sea was running high under the north-easter, and dinner would be no easy matter. He knew he must sit next to her and help her under all the difficulties that arise under the circ.u.mstances. It would have been easy, too, for them both to see that the eyes of the other four were upon them, had either of them suspected it. Claudius held himself up to the full of his great height and steadied every nerve of his body for the meeting. Margaret belonged to the people who do not change colour easily, and when she spoke, even the alert ear of Mr. Barker opposite could hardly detect the faintest change of tone. And yet she bore the burden of it, for she spoke first.

”How do you do, Dr. Claudius?”

”Thank you, well. I was sorry to hear you had a headache to-day. I hope you are better.”

”Thanks, yes; much better.” They all sat down, and it was over.

The conversation was at first very disjointed, and was inclined to turn on small jokes about the difficulty of dining at an angle of forty-five degrees. The weather was certainly much heavier than it had been in the morning, and the Duke feared they would have a longer pa.s.sage than they had expected, but added that they would be better able to judge to-morrow at twelve. Claudius and Margaret exchanged a few sentences, with tolerable tact and indifference; but, for some occult reason, Mr.

Barker undertook to be especially lively and amusing, and after the dinner was somewhat advanced he launched out into a series of stories and anecdotes which served very well to pa.s.s the time and to attract notice to himself. As Mr. Barker was generally not very talkative at table, though frequently epigrammatic, his sudden eloquence was calculated to engage the attention of the party. Claudius and Margaret were glad of the rattling talk that delivered them from the burden of saying anything especial, and they both laughed quite naturally at Barker's odd wit. They were grateful to him for what he did, and Claudius entertained some faint hope that he might go on in the same strain for the rest of the voyage. But Margaret pondered these things.