Perhaps it was the reflective mood to which this philosophizing vein led that made me insensible of Conetta's approach. At any rate, I had no warning; I was still supposing that she was with the others on the after-deck when I felt her touch on my arm.
"You?" I said.
"Yes, me," she admitted, with the cheerful disregard for grammar which usually marked her flippant moods. "What are you doing up here, all by yourself?"
"What should I be doing? But if you really want to know, I'm gazing out toward the country where I'm likely to spend the next few years of my life—Venezuela."
"Yes," she said quite calmly. "I've just been up on the bridge with Bonteck. He told me you were going to bury yourself again in the South American wilds." Then, with what seemed to be a tinge of mocking malice: "Is it the Castilian princess?—but no; you told me she is married, didn't you?"
"No," I returned crabbedly; "it's you, this time, Conetta. I don't want to be on the same side of the earth with you when you marry Jerry Dupuyster."
She laughed as though I had said something humorous. "Jerry!" she scoffed. "Where are your eyes, Dickie Preble? Don't you see that I haven't the littlest chance in the world in that quarter? I should think you might."
"That is all right," I retorted. "I'll have a thing or two to say to Jerry before I quit this neat little ship at La Guaira!"
"Please don't!" she pleaded.
"Don't tell Jerry where to head in, you mean?"
"No; I didn't mean that. I mean please don't slip back, like all the rest of us have. Don't you know you were awfully dear while we were on the island? There were times—times when you were so patient and good with Aunt Mehitable—when I could have hugged you."
"Humph! I wonder what Jerry would have said to that?"
"Can't we leave Jerry out of it, just for a few minutes? But youweregood, you know, and you were really making me begin to believe that your horrible temper, the temper that once made us both pay such a frightful price, was your servant instead of your master."
"Temper?" I said, fairly aghast at this bald accusation.
"Yes, temper. Have you been like everybody else—unable to recognize your own dearest failing? Don't you know that even as a little boy they used to say of you that you'd rather fight than eat? Are all red-headed men like that?"
"Never mind the other red-headed men," I returned. "What price did my temper make us pay?—and when?"
"I wonder if you went through it all without knowing—without realizing?" she said musingly. "Do you remember one night when you were taking Aunt Mehitable and me to the theater and some lobby lounger made a remark that you didn't like?"
"Yes, I remember it. I would have killed the beast if they hadn't pulled me off him. That remark was made about you, Conetta."
"I know. But you—you scandalized poor AuntMehitable. She began to say, right then, that I could never hope to have a happy married life with a man who had such an ungovernable temper. Wasn't it more or less true, Dick?"
Back of the island period and its tremendous revelations I should probably have said that it wasn't true. But now I only asked for better information.
"Once upon a time your aunt made two wills; made one, and revoked it with another within a week. Was that done to find out how much I would stand for?"
"I—I'm afraid it was." She admitted it reluctantly.
"Since it is all dead and buried long ago, you might tell me a little more about it. What she said to me was that she had heard of the loss of my property, and that she thought it was only fair to tell me that, under the terms of her will, you wouldn't inherit anything but a small legacy. She added that, of course, under such conditions our marriage was out of the question; that the only thing for me to do was to set you free."
"What did you say to her?"
"I don't remember. I probably raved like a maniac."
"You did. Miss Stebbins, the secretary, was in the library alcove, and she took short-hand notes. It was terrible, Dick. You must have been quite mad to say such things as you said to Aunt Mehitable."
"I was mad. Look at it from my side for a moment, if you can. I had just heard of the smash in the Western mines, and right upon the heels ofthat I was calmly asked to give you up. Did she show you the short-hand notes?"
"She did, after you had vanished without saying a word to me or even writing a line to tell me what had become of you. She did it to prove what she had said many times before—that your ferocious temper would make it impossible for any peaceable person to live with you."
"And you—what did you do?"
"What could I do? I had to go on living; one has to do that in any case. And after a time——"
"After a time, Jerry stepped in. I'm not blaming anybody, Conetta, dear. If Jerry would only break away from Beatrice Van Tromp and treat you as he ought to treat the woman he is going to marry, I wouldn't say a word."
She turned away, and for the length of time that it took theAndromedato sheer through three of the long Caribbean swells she was silent. Then, as if she were speaking to the wide expanse of sea and starry sky: "It would be a tragedy if Jerry should break away from Beatrice. They have been engaged for ever and ever so long."
"What!" I exclaimed. "And you've known it all the time?"
"I think you are the only one who hasn't known it."
"But you said you and Jerry——"
"No," she interrupted coolly, "I didn't say it. I merely let you go on believing what you seemed to want to believe."
"But you did say that Jerry had asked you."
"That was a long time ago; and I think he did it only because his uncle told him to."
Slowly the incredible thing battered its wayinto my brain. Conetta was free; free, and she hadn't been any better able to forget than I had. I slipped an arm around her.
"It's an awful gap—three years; could you—do you suppose we could bridge it—and let Aunt Mehitable make another will, if she wants to?"
Just then, Bonteck, or whoever had the wheel, must have let theAndromedafall off a bit. There was a plunge, a splash, and the spray of the curling bow wave showered us both. She let me wipe her face with my handkerchief, and then put it up to be kissed.
"There has never been any gap, Dick, dear," she said softly. "I—I guess I'm just a silly little one-love fool. I've just been waiting—and waiting . . . and Aunt Mehitable . . . she's sorry, dear; she's been sorry ever since that dreadful day three years ago when she made you swear at her and call her a mercenary old harridan. . . ."
Time being the merest abstraction in such circumstances, it might have been either minutes or hours after this that the tubular chime which answered for a ship's bell on theAndromedabegan to strike. Conetta counted, and as the last note was dying away she chanted happily:
"Eight bells; the forward light is shining bright, and all's well! Kiss me again, Dickie, dear, and we'll go and find Aunt Mehitable—if she hasn't gone to bed."
Transcriber's Notes:Page 13, "entére" changed to "entrée" (entréeto the best house)Page 67, "role" changed to "rôle" to match other usage (rôle she had tried)Page 141, "Dyke" changed to "Dyck" (place in Van Dyck)Page 168, "maneuvering" changed to "manoeuvering" to match rest of usage in text (fortnight I've been manoeuvering)Page 172, "hypothssis" changed to "hypothesis" (second hypothesis was)Page 180, superfluous comma removed after "well" (file and keeping well)Page 193, final period added to last line on page (blotted me out.)Page 204, "hestitating" changed to "hesitating" (was not hesitating from)Page 224, "a" changed to "á" (Gracias á Dios with a disabled)Pagem 246, "Curacao" changed to "Curaçao" (the island of Curaçao)Page 257, "Grácias a Dios" changed to "Gracias á Dios" to match rest of usage (repair stop at Gracias á Dios)Page 248, "Curacao" changed to "Curaçao" (Curaçao, to anyw'ere you)
Transcriber's Notes:
Page 13, "entére" changed to "entrée" (entréeto the best house)
Page 67, "role" changed to "rôle" to match other usage (rôle she had tried)
Page 141, "Dyke" changed to "Dyck" (place in Van Dyck)
Page 168, "maneuvering" changed to "manoeuvering" to match rest of usage in text (fortnight I've been manoeuvering)
Page 172, "hypothssis" changed to "hypothesis" (second hypothesis was)
Page 180, superfluous comma removed after "well" (file and keeping well)
Page 193, final period added to last line on page (blotted me out.)
Page 204, "hestitating" changed to "hesitating" (was not hesitating from)
Page 224, "a" changed to "á" (Gracias á Dios with a disabled)
Pagem 246, "Curacao" changed to "Curaçao" (the island of Curaçao)
Page 257, "Grácias a Dios" changed to "Gracias á Dios" to match rest of usage (repair stop at Gracias á Dios)
Page 248, "Curacao" changed to "Curaçao" (Curaçao, to anyw'ere you)