Part 32 (1/2)
”Oh, Rue, I'm just beginning. She's kind, that's all--an energetic, intelligent woman, full of interest in life. I _know_ she'll give you some splendid advice--tell you how to get settled in Paris--Lord! You don't even know French, do you?”
”No.”
”Not a word?”
”No.... I don't know anything, Mr. Neeland.”
He tried to laugh rea.s.suringly:
”I thought it was to be Jim, not Mister,” he reminded her.
But she only looked at him out of troubled eyes.
In the glare of the pier's headlights they descended. Pa.s.sengers were entering the vast, damp enclosure; porters, pier officers, s.h.i.+p's officers, sailors, pa.s.sed to and fro as they moved toward the gangway where, in the electric glare of lamps, the clifflike side of the gigantic liner loomed up.
At sight of the monster s.h.i.+p Rue's heart leaped, quailed, leaped again. As she set one slender foot on the gangway such an indescribable sensation seized her that she caught at Neeland's arm and held to it, almost faint with the violence of her emotion.
A steward took the suitcase, preceded them down abysmal and gorgeous stairways, through salons, deep into the dimly magnificent bowels of the ocean giant, then through an endless white corridor twinkling with lights, to a stateroom, where a stewardess ushered them in.
There was n.o.body there; n.o.body had been there.
”He dare not come,” whispered Neeland in Ruhannah's ear.
The girl stood in the centre of the stateroom looking silently about her.
”Have you any English and French money?” he asked.
”No.”
”Give me--well, say two hundred dollars, and I'll have the purser change it.”
She went to her suitcase, where it stood on the lounge; he unstrapped it for her; she found the big packet of treasury notes and handed them to him.
”Good heavens!” he muttered. ”This won't do. I'm going to have the purser lock them in the safe and give me a receipt. Then when you meet the Princess Mistchenka, tell her what I've done and ask her advice.
Will you, Rue?”
”Yes, thank you.”
”You'll wait here for me, won't you?”
”Yes.”
So he noted the door number and went away hastily in search of the purser, to do what he could in the matter of foreign money for the girl. And on the upper companionway he met the Princess Mistchenka descending, preceded by porters with her luggage.
”James!” she exclaimed. ”Have you come aboard to elope with me?
Otherwise, what are you doing on the _Lusitania_ at this very ghastly hour in the morning?”
She was smiling into his face and her daintily gloved hand retained his for a moment; then she pa.s.sed her arm through his.