Part 31 (2/2)
”We have come to thank you,” she said quietly. ”You have suffered much for us, too much.”
His smile was fading while she spoke.
”I--I failed,” he muttered. ”I had my hands upon him, and failed.”
”Ah, but you mustn't think us unjust, always,” she answered. ”What you intended--that is what we look at. You have worked for us ceaselessly.
And now you suffer for us. You must accept our grat.i.tude for that.”
He shook his head slowly, and his gaze wandered past her to Van Arlen's face.
”It is a check,” he said slowly, ”but only a check. He is not going to win.” His eyes grew suddenly clear and his lips grim. ”I shall follow him to the end,” he said.
The orderly moved forward and rearranged the coverlet. He looked significantly at a flush which had risen to Aylmer's cheek.
”It is better that Monsieur should not excite himself,” he explained amiably. ”Mademoiselle is here; matters are going well. Monsieur will convalesce all the quicker if he avoids emotion.”
Aylmer pushed at the rearranged coverlet with a gesture of irritation.
He drew himself into a sitting posture.
”Don't think that I have flung up the sponge!” he cried. ”Before, before this weakness came over me I arranged for the future. Daoud has seen to that; he has put matters in train. Landon will be watched--if necessary, followed. And when I am up again--” he smiled savagely--”when I take the trail for the second time, he will pay in full, as I promised he should.”
And his voice rang firm as he caught sight of the Moor silhouetted against the evening light at the tent door.
”That is so?” he demanded. ”You have seen to this among your friends?”
Daoud came forward a couple of respectful paces.
”Be a.s.sured, Sidi,” he said, ”that this man will not move a yard but I shall have due knowledge of it, in time. He cannot leave North Africa, and I be ignorant of it. Our hands may lag, but they will grip him at the last.”
Aylmer gave a little sigh of satisfaction and lay back. And his eyes rose to Van Arlen's half appealingly, half defiantly.
”You see?” he said. ”At any rate, I am doing--my best.”
The other bowed, but not his automatic, courteous little bow with which he punctuated his everyday conversation. There was a moisture in his eyes. He leaned forward and took the hand which moved restlessly across the coverlet.
”If I had had a son,” he said, ”he could have done no more. Take my thanks, Captain Aylmer, for all that you are and have been; take them in full.”
Aylmer gave a little nod of content.
”I'll take them,” he smiled, ”for what I have been to you, and that is less than nothing. But for what I am going to be--I'll earn them for that, earn them!”
CHAPTER XVI
AT MELILLA
About the aspect of the port of Melilla there is only one thing wholly admirable. That is the curving bay which sweeps eastward from the town towards the frontier blockhouse. This last is an eyesore; the untethered camels which pasture in herds beside it have little attractiveness; the wide plateau which stretches up to the distant hills is desolate and often arid. But the bay is a perpetual delight. Curved like a scimitar, it s.h.i.+nes in the sunlight as a tempered blade s.h.i.+nes, ringed by white tresses of foam, banked by its parapets of sand.
<script>