Part 41 (1/2)

His eyes became sombre.

”No, my dear young lady,” he said. ”My optimism has not reached so far, as yet. But I have persuaded our captors that Captain Aylmer's detention here is not necessary. They do not exact a parole from him, but they permit me to loose his lower limbs and to give him the freedom of the deck. It is because his release implies your own that this concession gives me--and him--undoubted pleasure.”

He stooped as he finished speaking, and quickly and deftly unlashed the cords at Aylmer's ankles and, with a jerk, pulled him to his feet. He shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the still tethered hands.

”I fear I am helpless there, my dear fellow,” he said. ”Complete rights of enfranchis.e.m.e.nt were not allowed me.”

Claire parted her lips as if to speak, hesitated, and pressed them firmly together again. The shackling of those wrists was a mere blind but--Aylmer forbore to communicate the fact to Miller. Why?

Miller looked at her keenly, inquiringly.

”Yes?” he said. ”You want further information? Is that it?”

”I have a hundred questions to ask,” she smiled. ”How did you get this concession? Where are we? What are they doing with us? What is our destination?”

He shrugged his shoulders again.

”As to the first--a little tact was all that was necessary, though tact, indeed, is too self-laudatory a word. Logic, let us say. I showed him how unnecessary it was to antagonize a man with whom he would eventually have to chaffer. That was mere common-sense, was it not?”

”Chaffer?” repeated Aylmer. He considered Miller; for an appreciable moment he surveyed him silently. ”That implies a bargain, and to bargain there must be goods to sell. Landon has none which will tempt me.”

”Liberty,” suggested Miller. ”Comfort, and not for yourself alone?”

”With Landon I do not bargain,” said Landon's cousin, doggedly. ”I have set myself to clean our name of the stigmas with which he had bedaubed it. There are no terms to be made.”

”You sacrifice yourself?” said Miller. He paused. ”Have you the right to sacrifice others?”

”No,” said Aylmer, quietly. ”You and Miss Van Arlen must do exactly what seems best for yourselves. That is a deal apart.”

Miller shook his head.

”No, my dear Captain Aylmer,” he answered. ”That is exactly what it is not. Landon's terms concern us all.”

Claire looked at him anxiously.

”He has told you them?” she cried. ”You are his messenger?”

Miller gave a little bow of acquiescence.

”They are bluntly these,” he said. ”For you he demands from your father the sum of twenty-five thousand pounds. For your nephew, double that amount. For myself, I must apologize for placing myself next, but the financial sequence necessitates it, ten thousand. For our friend here--nothing, or, to be precise, nothing in cash.”

She did not flinch as he mentioned the sums. She merely looked contemptuous.

”Is that all?” she asked. ”He is a common blackmailer?”

Miller shook his head.

”No,” he said. ”Unfortunately that is not all.”

He looked directly at Aylmer.