Part 23 (1/2)

”I was unable to prevent it, is a better way of phrasing it,” I replied, still gently

”But you tried to prevent it?” There was an e little note in her voice

”Oh, but you didn't,” she hurried on, divining ed my shoulders ”You must remember, Miss Brewster, that you are a new inhabitant of this little world, and that you do not yet understand the lahich operate within it You bring with you certain fine conceptions of hus; but here you will find them misconceptions I have found it so,” I added, with an involuntary sigh

She shook her head incredulously

”What would you advise, then?” I asked ”That I should take a knife, or a gun, or an axe, and kill this man?”

She half started back

”No, not that!”

”Then what should I do? Kill myself?”

”You speak in purelyas e is never without effect”

”Ah,” I smiled, ”you advise me to kill neither him nor myself, but to let him kill me” I held up e is a worthless asset on this little floating world Leach, one of the ree So had the other ood stead, but it destroyed them And so with e I may possess

”You must understand, Miss Brewster, and understand clearly, that thisis sacred to hi is too terrible for him to do It was due to his whim that I was detained aboard in the first place It is due to his whi, because I am a slave to this monster, as you are now a slave to him; because I desire to live, as you will desire to live; because I cannot fight and overcoht and overcoo on

”What remains? Mine is the role of the weak I renonominy And it is well It is the best we can do if ish to live The battle is not always to the strong We have not the strength hich to fight this man; we must dissimulate, and win, if e can, by craft If you will be advised by me, this is what you will do I know my position is perilous, and I may say frankly that yours is evento do so, in secret alliance I shall not be able to side with you openly, and, no nities may be put upon me, you are to remain likewise silent We must provoke no scenes with thisfaces and be friendly with him no matter how repulsive it may be”

She brushed her hand across her forehead in a puzzled way, saying, ”Still I do not understand”

”You must do as I say,” I interrupted authoritatively, for I saw Wolf Larsen's gaze wandering toward us from where he paced up and doith Lati you will find I a the anxious glance I had shot at the object of our conversation, and impressed, I flatter myself, with the earnestness of e you can,” I said briskly ”Don't arouse this man's animosity Be quite friendly with him, talk with him, discuss literature and art with his You will find him an interested listener and no fool And for your own sake try to avoid witnessing, as much as you can, the brutalities of the shi+p It will make it easier for you to act your part”

”I am to lie,” she said in steady, rebellious tones, ”by speech and action to lie”

Wolf Larsen had separated fro toward us I was desperate

”Please, please understands is worthless here Youother ways, been used to e speak out through theed me with your eyes, commanded me with them But don't try it on Wolf Larsen You could as easily control a lion, while he would make a mock of you He would-I have always been proud of the fact that I discovered hi the conversation as Wolf Larsen stepped on the poop and joined us ”The editors were afraid of him and the publishers would have none of hinificent hit with his 'Forge'”

”And it was a newspaper poeht in a newspaper,” I replied, ”but not because the li of Harris,” I said to Wolf Larsen