Part 16 (2/2)

”So you have got away,” he went on, ”from Mahon at last?”

”Yes,” answered Fitz.

”I should think you have had enough of Minorca to last you the rest of your life,” said Luke, looking abruptly down at the quarrelling boatmen and the tangle of tossing craft beneath them.

”It is not such a bad place as all that,” replied Fitz. ”I--I rather like it.”

There was a little pause, and quite suddenly Luke said -

”The Ingham-Bakers are on board.”

It would almost seem that these twin minds followed each other into the same train of thought. Fitz frowned with an air of reflectiveness.

”The Ingham-Bakers,” he said. ”Who are they?”

Luke gave a little laugh which almost expressed a sudden relief.

”Don't you remember?” he said. ”She is a friend of Mrs.

Harrington's, and--and there is Agatha, her daughter.”

”I remember--stout. Not the daughter, the old woman, I mean. Oh-- yes. Where are they going?”

”To Malta.”

It was perfectly obvious, even to Luke, that the Ingham-Bakers'

immediate or projective destination was a matter of the utmost indifference to Fitz, who was more interested in the Croonah than in her pa.s.sengers.

They were both conscious of an indefinite feeling of disappointment.

This meeting after years of absence was not as it should be.

Something seemed to stand between them--a shadow, a myth, a tiny distinction. Luke, with characteristic pessimism, saw it first-- felt its chill, intangible presence before his less subtle-minded brother. Then Fitz saw it, and, as was his habit, he went at it unhesitatingly

”Gad!” he explained, ”I am glad to see you, old chap. Long time, isn't it, since we saw each other? You must come back with me, and have lunch or something. The men will be awfully glad to make your acquaintance. You can look over the s.h.i.+p, though she is not much to look at, you know! Not up to this. She is a fine s.h.i.+p, Luke! What can she steam?”

”She can do her twenty,” answered the second officer of the Croonah, indifferently.

”Yes, she looks it. Well, can you get away now?”

Luke shook his head.

”No,” he answered almost ungraciously, ”I can't leave the s.h.i.+p.”

”What! Not to come and look over the Kittiwake?” Fitz's face fell visibly. He did not seem to be able to realise that any one should be equal to relinquis.h.i.+ng without a murmur the opportunity of looking over the Kittiwake.

”No, I am afraid not. We have our discipline too, you know.

Besides, we are rather like railway guards. We must keep up to time. We shall be under way by two o'clock.”

Fitz pressed the point no further. He had been brought up to discipline since childhood--moreover, he was rather clever in a simple way, and he had found out that it would be no pleasure but a pain to Luke to board a s.h.i.+p flying the white ensign.

<script>