Page 104 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

held the deck on the previous night enveloped all forward
of the main-mast. A lantern swung in the forecastle, and
swayed with the motion of the ship. The light at the pris-
on door threw a glow through the open hatch, and in the
cuddy, at her right hand, the usual row of oil-lamps burned.
She looked mechanically for Vickers, who was ordinarily
there at that hour, but the cuddy was empty. So much the
better, she thought, as she drew her dark cloak around her,
and tapped at Frere’s door. As she did so, a strange pain shot
through her temples, and her knees trembled. With a strong
effort she dispelled the dizziness that had almost overpow-
ered her, and held herself erect. It would never do to break
down now.
The door opened, and Maurice Frere drew her into the
cabin. ‘So you have come?’ said he.
‘You see I have. But, oh! if I should be seen!’
‘Seen? Nonsense! Who is to see you?’
‘Captain Vickers, Doctor Pine, anybody.’
‘Not they. Besides, they’ve gone off down to Pine’s cabin
since dinner. They’re all right.’
Gone off to Pine’s cabin! The intelligence struck her with
dismay. What was the cause of such an unusual proceed-
ing? Surely they did not suspect! ‘What do they want there?’
she asked.
Maurice Frere was not in the humour to argue questions
of probability. ‘Who knows? I don’t. Confound ‘em,’ he add-
ed, ‘what does it matter to us? We don’t want them, do we,
Sarah?’
She seemed to be listening for something, and did not re-

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