Show R q A 54 era AmE WI LLIAMS CS ls DEN wea 1 5 1 1 W ra J r y ice CHAPTER XIV Continued 18 15 then george spoke her name behind them and she turned in quick guilty dismay and george saw her contusion confusion and his cheek paled she went toward him forced herself to speak casually well gone almost out ot of sight now 11 george georgd nodded 1 I think ill go below he seemed hoarse ill try to take a nap he turned away mary after a moments doubt went with him he did not protest wilen she followed him but neither did be look around he walked rapidly aft to the companion descended before she overtook him at the toot foot of the companionway she found that he had stopped to wait tor for her and when she faced him he asked aked a flat question mary what were you and rich ard talking about he cried wretchedly oh im sorry meryl maryl I 1 dont want to be this way I 1 but ive seen you so often lately talking to him and if I 1 come near you you stop I 1 try not to notice I 1 try as hard as I 1 can but I 1 cant help it mary desperate to reassure him and to stop his questions she remembered the pearls richards worried she said there driere were some pearls in al a packet in his desk and been stolen pearls where did richard get them they were mine once begun she must tell him everything but at her word his hand tightened on her arm where did you get them mary 11 Ja rambo gave them to me the day we left gilead Ja rambo his eyes cleared with relief 1 I suppose hed had them for years probably dove clove for them himself was that it 1 no she said 1 I think I 1 know what hat happened she told him the I 1 truth or her best guess at what the truth might be she related now at last the massacre at the island and the burning of the fhe ship they had killed aulgur you know she reminded him 1 I suppose these were his pearls ands they got them and carambo found them on their schooner he sat down shaken by what he heard fumbling for solid ground again our islanders slaughtered those men yes she said but they did it because they loved you george after a moment he cried in a sudden idl n strength mary im glad they the worlds better without them yes v i mori mary why you tell me k all this before 1 you were so r did caan corr know about the massacre yes does anyone else aboard know corkran knew of course hes probably told everyone and they all saw the smoke from the burning schooner before they reached the island he nodded briefly said in a slow scorn of himself everyone knew but me but no one one told me 1 I knew how unhappy it we would uld make you he laughed shortly 1 I know now whore where I 1 stand with you an all you think me i a weak woman of a man who has to be guarded and cajoled and shielded protected from the truth please george he shook his head oh I 1 suppose ill be all right when ive thought it lover over but its pretty hard to find yourself so c contemptible in the eyes of other ment men he went to his own cabin A and nd shut the door behind him shutting her out when he appeared for foi supper he seemed to be himself once more Tn hey were all cheerful at the supper table peter did most of the talking as he was apt to do since that day when he killed the whale w which aich had broken richards arm hewa he was S exuberantly sure of himself inclined to condescend at dark that night the weather changed the wind came more southerly and it stiffened end arid was cold richard shortened sail a little stayed on deck most of the night watching his ship using as much wind as he wisely could extracting from the halt half gale all it would safely give the weather got no worse next day but it got no better and richard drove her carefully that day and the days that followed CHAPTER XV george coughed more and more but in spite of marys urgings he went on deck every day refusing to be coddled interested le in this westward passage of the horn which they were approaching and he asked ed richard many questions Z were we re all right richard as bd Q him the only thing I 1 dont want to hit is tog fog were apt to see icebergs any time im shortening IsaSi sail rat 1 night As long as it ft stays y clear V w e can fee ee ice ce a long S way y from am V crosstrees cros and we cantell tela pretty act C before dark it if theres any ice allia ot or us and the nights art s short ort trtat at helps elps 11 he himself I 1 self n the deck during the brief r a of darkness not going below at t nurse all 11 sleeping in the daytime the their course was by this time southeasterly and richard took every opportunity to catch the sun br or to take a lunar they sighted the diego ramirez rocks one morning an hour alter breakfast and mary put on her coat and went up the companion and found richard exuberant as a triumphant boy in the knowledge that his calculations had been accurate the men forward were shouting instead ol of talking their voices high pitched with triumph knowing that presently they would turn at last northeasterly for or the long run home now ill snatch a wink mr forbes richard told mat call me when we come abeam of the rocks so he and peter went below with george and mary and richard stripped off his great sea coat mary said youre dead for or sleep richard go ue he down he nodded 1 I could sleep three days in a row he agreed he went into his cabin and closed tho the door behind him mary made george ue he down in his bunk for or hs sake and covered him over she returned to her own cabin and drifted oft off to sleep later she roused a little heard peter say in the common room outside her door 1 I tell you youre wrong B but u t anyway watch yourself your seU dick W will il 1 e mary blary begged george please blow you to pieces he keeps a gun in the top drawer she sat up in swift alarm As her feet touched the floor boor she heard peter go on deck again and then george opened her door he grasped her arm his fingers crushing it so that she uttered a low cry of pain she looked up into his face ace and saw it twisted and convulsed by some terrific passion and she whispered in a quick terror georgel the matter he s said aid harshly come out herel I 1 want to talk to you and captain corr holding her he wrenched open the door of richards cabin and richard asleep in the bunk opened his eyes his head rising from the pillow and then his whole body rose as he came to his feet in a sharp harp s alarm steadying himself with his good iland hand wrong he asked lie he brushed past them into the common room leaped toward the companion thinking only of the ship thinking her in danger when richard emerging from the cabin brushed him aside george had lurched toward the desk and before richard reached the foot of 0 the companionway george dragged open the top drawer of the desk and anc lifted out of it the heavy old rei revolver olver always kept there at his try cry his command richard turned and saw the weapon leveled at him firmly for a moi moment nent he did not move staring in a bewildered astonishment but then his concern still for or his ship he be said curtly ill be bacal and he went up the companionway compa mary began to understand what wha was coming to foresee the content of the next half hour she heard as though tar far away voices over their heads but she did not look up she stared at geqrge george as though he were a 0 stranger seen tor for the first time and she waited lor for richard to return as for or a rescuer when he descended the compan bonway lie he clorea the scuttle behind him shutting them in he stopped at the foot oot of 0 the ladder looking from one of them to the other george had turned stood braced now with his feet wide apart his back to the desk the quartering the seas was combining a pitch and a roll roh in an exasperating motion slithering upward at an angle poising lurching down again george had put on some composure he was steadier now and quieter he backed against the desk still holding tho the revolver and faced them both and he spoke in crisp slow tones he said evenly 1 I want this business between you stopped today now richard stared at him he looked helplessly at mary im so tired im dumb he said speaking to her not to george mayba mayb its because im short of 0 sleep I 1 dont know what hes talking about but mary knew so many incidents out of the past came now to enlighten her this man facing them with a weapon in his hands was the same george who could not endure the thought ot of leaving her with joseph Ne argood at gilead he we was the same george who could not see fritz aulgur give her a pearl ife he was the same george who was forever tormented by a devil of jealousy it did not occur to her to wonder why the passion in ili him had thus suddenly come to a head er gainly he had lost control at 0 himself she moved toward him said pleadingly george youre sick let me put you to bed Pl please easel im sick to death he told her sick of youl you dont touch me ive shut my eyes to your wan wantonness tonnes long enough his word stopped her like a blow richard protested gravely george youre talking in circles it if youve got anything to say say it on your mind im talking about you and mary making love to each other an all the time george told him and his wn own rage choked him and he coughed ched bending double clutching at his chest his face dark with lack of breath before he could speak again do you think im b blind I 1 ind he challenged then 1 I think youre crazym crazy im crazy am I 1 george visibly fought to control himself to speak impassively oh I 1 dont blame you so much why you make love to her when she begs tor for it ltv captain corr leave her alone no matter what she says because if you ever touch mary again or speak to her ill kill you richard said miserably man youre 11 maybe I 1 am but im not notton too a sick ck to pull a trigger ive killed as big a man as you with a pickaxe and he had a auni gun dont you touch mary again or speak to her speak to her richard echoed why sure I 1 will and ill touch her too it if it comes that way have some sense why t I 1 george cried explosively because youre in love with her and she with youl but on his own i words a paroxysm of coughing swept him bent him silenced him he dropped the revolver on the desk clutching at his chest with both hands it was long before he could speak again through that long moment richard looked at mary and mary look looked edat at richard B before the me moment ended each knew it was truel while their eyes met in that long exchange like a revelation like vows exchanging these two forgot george racked arid and helpless by the desk his words unlocked at last a long closed door what he said was true and while their eyes held now they both knew III it they knew that they had loved each other always and would love each other always they had not guessed the truth before but they knew it now forever beyond doubt beyond change beyond forgetting each thought wonderingly I 1 was blind not to know then that this was true but now they knew now they knew and the knowledge was a gulf deep and terrible and hopeless their eyes held hard till george recovered and they did not know he had recovered till he crossed to thrust at mary with a movement like a blow to break the bridge of their exchanging glasses and to cry pitifully furious dont stop you shant even look at him sol she spoke in a panic of haste desperately pera tely denying as much to persuade herself as her husband mary whispered george george it truel true she looked at richard again she knew it was true knew he knew it pi please el she cried like a prayer george faced her challenged so its not true of course not he lifted one hand brushed it past her like a scornful blow youre a harl mary begged george please he swung to her staring at her narrowly you want me to believe you dont love him he be demanded 1 I dont george he grinned mockingly he slipped his arm through hers all right he be said 1 I believe it I 1 believe you youre my wife and you love me IP Is that true 4 yes yes yes you love me with all your heart yes and soul yes fully and completely and passionately siona tely yes yes you know I 1 do he had begun this catechism in tones derisive but under her earnestness nest ness his derision faded he was so lost without her wanted so a much to believe her that he began to do so she saw with a slow rising hope the that t he d did I 1 d begin to b believe ea I 1 eve he her r and she thought fear would live with her always now fear car lest he be discover the truth she thought all ali my life ill have to lie to him pretend make him believe I 1 love hir hiir if he be knew 1 I 1 dont he would die TO BE CONTINUED |