Part 19 (1/2)

”'This is the best joke I ever heard,' he gasped in the middle of his mirth. 'Do you mean to say that you are starting on your honeymoon?'

”'Yes, I do.'

”'Poor devil of a G.o.dwin! Then there is every prospect of your spending it with me. Never in my wildest dreams did I look forward to such happiness as this. Is there nothing I can offer you in the shape of consolation?'

”'The only consolation you can offer me is to show me to my berth. I am miserable; you know I am! I should have thought that no man, to whatever depths he may have sunk, would have taken advantage of a woman in my situation.'

”By this time my tears were flowing quite profusely. But they made no impression upon him. He recommenced pacing round and round the cabin.

He was large, and it was small. His tramp, tramp, tramping, and the general callousness of his demeanour, agitated me to such an extent that I almost feared that I should become hysterical. Just as I began to think that I could not hold out any longer he went to the door and shouted 'Spooner!'

”I supposed he was shouting for the steward. I congratulated myself that after all he had been touched, and that I was to be shown to a berth at last. I was beginning to dry my tears when a hairy object appeared in the doorway. He was so broad in proportion to his height that I at first thought he was deformed.

”'Come in, Spooner.' The man came in. A more unlikely-looking Spooner I never saw. Really, he reminded me of nothing so much as Quasimodo.

His face was all covered with hair; even his great hands were hairy.

He had a pair of big black eyes, which, added to his other attractions, made him look the perfect picture of ferocity. 'This is my first officer.' Even in my grief I smiled. What could be expected of a crew which had such officers? 'You recollect, Spooner, my telling you about that old sweetheart of mine who broke me?'

”'I do.'

”You know how ba.s.ses seem to produce their voices from their boots.

Mr. Spooner's voice seemed to come from much lower than his boots.

”'You remember my telling you what a jade she was?'

”'I do.'

”'Well, here she is.'

”Mr. Spooner stared at me, as well he might do. For my part I was dumb. Charlie Pearson always had a graceful way of introducing a lady.

”'You remember my telling you about that Baron she jilted me for?'

”'I do.'

”'And how I used to carry a revolver about with me in my breeches pocket so that it might be handy to get a shot at him?' Mr. Spooner nodded his head. 'I used to say that if she married I'd make her a widow within a week. Well, she is married. But it's not to the Baron.

It seems that she sent him to the deuce after me. She's married a man named G.o.dwin. I suppose she thinks she can use her husbands like her sweethearts, so she has given him the slip and left him ash.o.r.e.

Think she's got tired of him, eh? Well, she must be pretty smart at tiring--she only married him to-day. She's starting on her honeymoon.

This is her wedding night, and she's left the man ash.o.r.e.'

”Mr. Spooner listened to this without even so much as blinking an eye.

He stood staring at me like a great stolid bear.

”'Spooner, I've laid awake of nights wondering when she and I would meet again. I've gone half mad racking my brains, thinking what vengeance I would take. I've asked myself over and over again what I'd do to her if ever I got her in my power. Now I've got her. And I ask you what you would do if you were I?'

”'I'd forgive her.'

”'Forgive her!'