Page 670 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

CHAPTER XIV. GETTING

READY FOR SEA.

aurice Frere’s passion had spent itself in that last
Mact of violence. He did not return to the prison, as
he promised himself, but turned into the road that led to
the Cascades. He repented him of his suspicions. There was
nothing strange in the presence of the chaplain. Sylvia had
always liked the man, and an apology for his conduct had
doubtless removed her anger. To make a mountain out of
a molehill was the act of an idiot. It was natural that she
should release Dawes—women were so tender-hearted. A
few well-chosen, calmly-uttered platitudes anent the ne-
cessity for the treatment that, to those unaccustomed to
the desperate wickedness of convicts, must appear harsh,
would have served his turn far better than bluster and
abuse. Moreover, North was to sail in the Lady Franklin,
and might put in execution his threats of official complaint,
unless he was carefully dealt with. To put Dawes again to
the torture would be to show to Troke and his friends that
the ‘Commandant’s wife’ had acted without the ‘Comman-
dant’s authority’, and that must not be shown. He would
now return and patch up a peace. His wife would sail in
the same vessel with North, and he would in a few days be
left alone on the island to pursue his ‘discipline’ unchecked.