The door closed. Wolf would inform in forecastle of what had happened. Within the cabin Esther heard her mistress say, "You may unpack and press the white lace dress. Esther, with the satin basque."
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At eight exactly she was ready. Wolf had been relieved; there was another man at the door who kept his eyes resolutely ahead as Barney entered, but tried hard to hear.
But Barney's voice was very low.
"You look lovely, Douglass."
"Thank you," she said, frostily.
"I've asked three officers to dine with us."
"Oh," she said, then because she thought there was no use dissembling, "I am glad of that, sir."
Barney looked at her steadily. "And even when you are ill, it is not good to confine yourself in your cabin, English. You are not ill now."
Barney had invited Scull, Macgregor and Jerrell. Douglass had met them all, and they had been waiting. Barney seated her to his right and Macgregor was on her other side. Barney had provided wine from his own stock and that made the officers doubly happy. While Barney entertained them at supper quite often, tonight it would be special. Douglass and the prospect of rare brandy later removed whatever tension there might have been, for although they did not know the exact reason for this voyage, they suspected. Rumor ran rife that they were carrying important despatches—the most important of the war, Macgregor had said weightily. It accounted for Barney's snappy temper, too, and it accounted for the route chosen, doubled lookouts, no prizes.
"Why don't he tell us?" Jerrell had asked Scull, and Scull had said, "Why do you need to know, sir?" Whereupon Jerrell had replied, with a glance at Macgregor, "I'd appreciate the confidence."
Scull had grunted, "You're too fresh, lad." He looked at Jerrell now, across the table, his blue eyes alight in his tanned face. "Roast chicken, sir," he was saying in tones of deep approval,
Macgregor said, "The stomach is very important to the young, madam. Mr. Jerrell's young enough to be still growing, I do believe."
Jerrell looked over at him, and then to Douglass. "Never believe him, madam."
"Oh, I don't, sir," said Douglass matter of factly, and Macgregor laughed. She went on, "I warrant you're older than I am, Mr. Jerrell. I am twenty."
"I've a year on you, ma'am," Jerrell said with dignity.
Barney was looking at Douglass. He eyed her now, and she caught his glance, and looked down at her plate. She began to eat again.
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"So you are twenty, are you, madam?" Barney said. "Regardless of age, your sex turns them into the semblance of gentlemen."
"You make me sound very depressing," Douglass said. "But I should have to go a long way back to make a change."
Jerrell grinned. "That reminds me of the time we took two ships at once. And two enemy captains later began to quarrel on deck about which one of them should have done what. And then Captain Barney said, in that way of his, 'Well, gentlemen, suppose I set you back on your ships and we'll try this over again?' "
Douglass laughed; she looked at Barney and for a second their eyes held, a look of deprecation and boyishness in his dark ones. But Jerrell's remark had started the flood of reminiscences. They began to talk, to regale her with the incidents of a voyage which would soon be over. Incident after incident was related, as though they were bringing her up to date on the voyage of which she was now a part.
"That was the day we used the British codebooks," Jerrell said. It was long after supper. The brandy had been serv'ed. Macgregor was peeling an orange for Douglass. She said:
"Then you did use them?"
Barney nodded. "Yes, madam, I did."
"Oh," said Douglass. She realized the other men were wondering how she knew about them; they were waiting to see if they would find out. She swept them with her grey eyes, and when they rested on Macgregor, he leaned forward in response.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked.
"Mr. Macgregor," Douglass said. "I don't believe I can eat the orange. It has turned so hot."
"Storm coming. Madam Harris," Barney said.
Douglass heard herself saying that she had enjoyed their company and they had been vastly entertaining; with their leave she would retire now. At this Barney rose.
For a moment no one spoke. Douglass looked up at him. The whole ship knew by this that she had refused the captain's first invitation. Macgregor had said, "By God, she's the first gal who ever said 'no' to Barney." He rose, too, and stood on the other side of her. With some misgiving Macgregor heard her say:
"I'm sure Mr. Macgregor won't mind escorting me."
Macgregor looked over her head at Barney. But Barney was look-
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ing down at Douglass between them. "I suggest the deck, madam," he said.
Douglass had risen. Barney went on. "You haven't been well this afternoon. Air is what you need. I prescribe it. A little walk on the deck." He pulled back her chair, and took her hand, tucking it in his arm.
Out on deck Douglass stopped after the first three steps. Alongside the carronade, alone as they were, she said, "I didn't want to walk, sir."
He drew her to the rail. "I know you didn't. There are the storm clouds, madam."
They were piled black in the skies to the south; a crooked belt of light split them suddenly. Overhead the stars still twinkled.
Barney said, over her head, "You're giving no quarter, are you?"
"I don't understand you, sir," she said, idly, capturing an errant curl that blew across her forehead; she tucked it back in place.
"I could make it plainer."
"Let me make something plain, sir. I do not want your company."
Barney said, "I see." Then his eyes twinkled. "But I have to eat too, madam."
"You left me, and then after waiting a while for you, I decided that you had left my life. It was exciting to be with you. But there was and there would always be too much waiting. And no certainty that the waiting would ever end, that you would ever come back. Only your promise, an easy currency for you with which you have paid off others . . . Well, all right, you have paid me off, too. The matter is ended. No, I have decided. It is futile to talk any more."
"Douglass, my promise is good. Now, listen. I went back for you—"
"I have put you out of my mind. Please do not insist on coming back."
"I came back for you as soon as I could and Samuel Hood was with you. I thought I had lost you, I thought you didn't care, but I went back again and found that you had gone. Do you still exclude me from your life? Do you still hate me?"
"I don't blame you for being angry with me. I will speak plain, too."
A crash of thunder punctuated his words. He added, "It is still quite distant or I shouldn't be standing here. You are not afraid, are you?'
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She told the truth. "Not with you, sir."
He smiled. "Sweetheart," he began. Then he said, "I didn't mean to say that, madam, and I had this carefully thought out. Give me five more minutes, Douglass."
She leaned back against the gun. "This is quite futile, sir."
"You didn't love me in Stasia, then?"
"I believe that was fully six months ago, Captain Barney."
Thunder rumbled again. She leaned away from him; he waited till the thunder rumbled to a stop. Then he spoke soberly.
"Douglass, you know my passion for getting things straight. What was between us has to be cleared away. You are fortifying yourself behind a mask of polite strangeness; I have to break through it somehow. Are you through with me, for good, do you think? I love you, Douglass. Let's get it straight, ma'am; I've always loved you, from the very beginning."
He heard the swift intake of her breath. She turned her head to look out over the sea, as a bolt of lightning ripped the black clouds.
"Get the courses in, Mr. Scull," Barney called. He took her arm. "You'll have to go below now, sweetheart. Wind coming up. Feel it?"