Part 30 (1/2)
”You will tell me all about America,” he said, rising and drawing back her chair, ”to-morrow?”
”If we can find nothing more interesting to talk about,” she said, looking up at him with a sparkle in her dark eyes. ”Good-night.”
Her hand, very small and white, and very soft, lingered in his. At that moment an unpleasant voice sounded in their ears.
”Do you know the time, Violet? The lights are out all over the s.h.i.+p. I don't understand what you are doing on deck.”
Mr. Watson was not pleasant to look upon. His eyes were puffy, and swollen, and he was not quite steady upon his feet. His wife looked at him in cold displeasure.
”The lights are out in the smoke-room, I suppose,” she said, ”or we should not have the pleasure of seeing you. Good-night, Mr. Sabin! Thank you so much for looking after me!”
Mr. Sabin bowed and walked slowly away, lighting a fresh cigarette. If it was acting, it was very admirably done.
CHAPTER XLIII.
THE COMING OF THE ”KAISER WILHELM”
The habit of early rising was one which Mr. Sabin had never cultivated, and breakfast was a meal which he abhorred. It was not until nearly midday on the following morning that he appeared on deck, and he had scarcely exchanged his customary greeting with the captain, before he was joined by Mr. Watson, who had obviously been on the look-out for him.
”I want, sir,” the latter commenced, ”to apologise to you for my conduct last night.”
Mr. Sabin looked at him keenly.
”There is no necessity for anything of the sort,” he said. ”If any apology is owing at all, it is, I think, to your wife.”
Mr. Watson shook his head vigorously.
”No, sir,” he declared, ”I am ashamed to say that I am not very clear as to the actual expressions I made, but Mrs. Watson has a.s.sured me that my behaviour to you was discourteous in the extreme.”
”I hope you will think no more of it. I had already,” Mr. Sabin said, ”forgotten the circ.u.mstance. It is not of the slightest consequence.”
”You are very good,” Mr. Watson said softly.
”I had the pleasure,” Mr. Sabin remarked, ”of an interesting conversation with your wife last night. You are a very fortunate man.”
”I think so indeed, sir,” Mr. Watson replied modestly.
”American women,” Mr. Sabin continued, looking meditatively out to sea, ”are very fascinating.”
”I have always found them so,” Mr. Watson agreed.
”Mrs. Watson,” Mr. Sabin said, ”told me so much that was interesting about your wonderful country that I am looking forward to my visit more than ever.”
Mr. Watson darted a keen glance at his companion. He was suddenly on his guard. For the first time he realised something of the resources of this man with whom he had to deal.
”My wife,” he said, ”knows really very little of her native country; she has lived nearly all her life abroad.”
”So I perceived,” Mr. Sabin answered. ”Shall we sit down a moment, Mr. Watson? One wearies so of this incessant promenading, and there is a little matter which I fancy that you and I might discuss with advantage.”
Mr. Watson obeyed in silence. This was a wonderful man with whom he had to deal. Already he felt that all the elaborate precautions of his coming had been wasted. He might be Mr. James B. Watson, the New York yacht owner and millionaire, to the captain and his seven pa.s.sengers, but he was nothing of the sort to Mr. Sabin. He shrugged his shoulders, and followed him to a seat. After all silence was a safe card.
”I'm going,” Mr. Sabin said, ”to be very frank with you. I know, of course, who you are.”
Mr. Watson shrugged his shoulders.
”Do you?” he remarked dryly.
Mr. Sabin bowed, with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
”Certainly,” he answered, ”you are Mr. James B. Watson of New York, and the lady with you is your wife. Now I want to tell you a little about myself.”
”Most interested, I'm sure,” Mr. Watson murmured.
”My real name,” Mr. Sabin said, turning a little as though to face his companion, ”is Victor Duc de Souspennier. It suits me at present to travel under the name by which I was known in England and by which you are in the habit of addressing me. Mr. Watson, I'm leaving England because a certain scheme of mine, which, if successful, would have revolutionised the whole face of Europe, has by a most unfortunate chance become a failure. I have incurred thereby the resentment, perhaps I should say the just resentment, of a great nation. I am on my way to the country where I concluded I should be safest against those means of, shall I say, retribution, or vengeance, which will a.s.suredly be used against me. Now what I want to say to you, Mr. Watson, is this--I am a rich man, and I value my life at a great deal of money. I wonder if by any chance you understand me.”
Mr. Watson smiled.
”I'm curious to know,” he said softly, ”at what price you value yourself.”
”My account in New York,” Mr. Sabin said quietly, ”is, I believe, something like ten thousand pounds.”
”Fifty thousand dollars,” Mr. Watson remarked, ”is a nice little sum for one, but an awkward amount to divide.”
Mr. Sabin lit a cigarette and breathed more freely. He began to see his way.
”I forgot the lady,” he murmured. ”The expense of cabling is not great. For the sake of argument, let us say twenty thousand.”
Mr. Watson rose.
”So far as I'm concerned,” he said, ”it is a satisfactory sum. Forgive me if I leave you for a few minutes, I must have a little talk with Mrs. Watson.”
Mr. Sabin nodded.
”We will have a cigar together after lunch,” he said. ”I must have my morning game of shuffleboard with the captain.”
Mr. Watson went below, and Mr. Sabin played shuffleboard with his usual deadly skill.
A slight mist had settled around them by the time the game was over, and the fog-horn was blowing, the captain went on the bridge, and the engines were checked to half speed.
Mr. Sabin leaned over the side of the vessel, and gazed thoughtfully into the dense white vapour.
”I think,” he said softly to himself, ”that after all I'm safe.”