On the threshold he paused, and his glance marched deliberately over us all, landing at last upon the Princess. "May the Lord help you," says he in his voice of suet. "May the Lord be merciful to you—all!"
The door went behind him with a snap. I turned almost unconsciously in that direction in which the last shafts of his eyes had flown. The accent on the "all" had been perceptible. Princess Alix had lifted her chin from her hand and set down her foot. She held on to the arm of the settee, and I could perceive her trembling. Her face had gone white like paper, and she stared at the closed door. I moved quickly towards her, for I was a doctor, if I had no other right there. My arrival broke upon her thought; she started, and the colour flowed back slowly into her face.
"That man is the most awful man I have ever seen," she said with a shudder.
"He is not so awful as he thinks," I said encouragingly.
She shook her head, and moved away. I followed her. "If I might suggest, I would advise you to take a rest," I said. "You have had a most trying night."
"Yes—I will rest," she returned with a sigh; and then, as we walked down the corridor together, "I thought you were right when you spoke to—to my brother in regard to the revolver; but now I don't know. I think anything that would rid the world of such a monster is justifiable."
"Perhaps," I replied. "But he is making war, and we are on terms of war, and more or less bound by them. At least, that is one's general notion. But who can tell? The ethical boundaries, and the borders of honour, are indefinable and intangible."
"I think I would have shot him myself," she said vehemently.
"I hope we shall hang him yet," I answered.
She looked at me out of her blue lustrous eyes, as if deliberating.
"We depend a good deal on you, Dr. Phillimore," she said next.
"We are all dependent on one another," said I.
"Do you suppose that man meant what he said?" she asked.
"No," I said. "I would distrust every statement of his. I can't determine what was in his mind or what he is aiming at. But this I know, that to make a compact with him would be to be at his mercy. He is ruthless; he would not consider what blood he shed; and, besides, he has committed himself too deeply, and is no fool to ignore that."
She sighed again. "I am glad," she murmured. "I thought perhaps that it would be wise. But my brother would never consent. Only I was afraid. But I am glad it would have been of no use. That makes only one course possible."
"Only one," I said gravely. We came to a pause by the door of the cabin. "I think I had better see to Mademoiselle," I said, "in case of emergencies."
"Yes, please," she said with a start, and opened the door of the boudoir.
Mademoiselle, clad in a wonderful dishabille, was seated under the electric light, engaged in a game of dominoes with her maid, and just threw a glance at us as we entered.
"There … tenez … là, là …" she said excitedly, and marked her board and scrambled up the dominoes in a heap.
"Juliette has won never," she cried in her broken English. "I have won three times. Where is Frederic, ma cherie? He is not fighting? Non?"
"There is no fighting now, Yvonne," replied the Princess with admirable restraint, as seemed to me. "Frederic is well."
"Oh, but the noise in the night," she rattled on in her own tongue. "It was dreadful. I could not sleep for the guns. It was abominable to mutiny. Ah, it is the doctor. Pardon, this light is not good, and they have boarded up the windows. We must live in darkness," she added peevishly. "But how are you, doctor? You have not been to cheer us lately. It is a dull ship."
"Why, we consider it pretty lively, Mademoiselle," I answered lightly. "It keeps us occupied."
"Ah, yes," she laughed. "But that is over now, and you will only have to dispose of the prisoners, to guillotine? … No, to hang?"
"It is we who are prisoners," said the Princess abruptly.
Mademoiselle stared. "Mon Dieu! Prisoners! Oh, but it is not so, Alix. Juliette, shuffle, or I will box your ears, silly… Whose prisoners are we?"
"The anterooms, Mademoiselle, are cut off from the rest of the ship," I explained. "Are you prepared to stand a siege?"
"Oh, but we have gallant defenders enough," she said with her pretty laugh. "I am not afraid. It will be experience. Juliette, open, open, stupid. Do not stare at Monsieur like a pig. Play."
I passed on, the Princess following me. "When I left her she was in tears," she said in a low voice.
"She may be in tears again," I said. "But at present she wants no help from me. She suffices entirely for herself."
Our eyes encountered, and I am sure of what I saw in hers; if we met on no other ground we met on a curious understanding of Mademoiselle. I took my leave ceremoniously.
CHAPTER X
Legrand's Wink
As I went down the corridor the figure of little Pye sprang out upon me from somewhere.
"Doctor," he said in a piteous voice. I stayed. "Doctor, I'm very ill. I'm just awful."
I looked at him closely. The flesh under his eyes was blue; the eyes themselves were bloodshot, and his hands shook. I felt his pulse, and it was racing.
"You're in a blue funk, Pye," said I severely.
He groaned. "Anything. I'll admit anything, doctor. But for heaven's sake let me go down to my bunk. I'll pull together there, I'll swear it."
"You'll go down and drink too much," I said.
"Not if you'll give me something. There must be lots of things," he pleaded. "I've never seen—I'm not fitted for this. Oh, doctor, I've only lived in a street before, a suburb, Tulse Hill. Think of that."
His voice cracked, and with the ghost of his favourite trick his fingers quavered with the glasses on his nose. I took a pity for the creature, a pity in which there was naturally some disgust.
"Very well," I said. "Go down, and I'll make it all right. I'll pay you a visit later."
He thanked me and scuttled away like a rabbit, and I sought Barraclough and explained.
"Ill?" said he. "Well, if he's ill–"
"He's ill enough to count," I said. "He's in a dead funk, and about as much use as a radish."
Barraclough's nose wrinkled in smiling contempt.
"Better make him steward and promote Jackson," he said. "He's part of a man, at any rate. They'll be on us before we know where we are."
"Do you think so?" I asked. "Well, to say the truth, Holgate puzzles me. Why did he make that offer?"
"Because he'll find it infernally difficult to get in here," said Barraclough easily. "Because it's a frontal attack all the way and a costly business. If it's a case of half the party going to glory they'll look out for a cheaper way first. That's why."
"You may be right," I answered. "But Holgate isn't exactly particular, and anyway I want to find out."
"Find out?" he echoed in surprise.
"Well, Holgate used a flag. Why shouldn't I in my turn?" I asked.
He screwed up his mouth. "Well, I don't know," said he. "I won't say you nay, but—look here, there's risk, Phillimore. You say Holgate isn't particular. To put it plain, he's a black-hearted swine."
"You couldn't put it too plain," I replied. "But I have my notion, and I may not be wrong. He's black enough, God knows, but I think I've gauged him a little. Why didn't he push the assault? Why doesn't he now? No, Holgate's not all plain and easy. It's not like reading print. I'm hanged if I know what he's up to, but whatever it is, it's bad. And somehow I feel my way along this, and I don't think he'll do any harm at present. Call it faith—call it instinct—call it superstition if you will."
He bit his moustache doubtfully. "You're on duty in an hour," he objected.
"I'll be back before," I answered. "And another thing, Barraclough, there's Legrand.... Oh, they'll want a doctor."
"That's true. Well, God bless you," said he, placidly yielding, and unlocked the door. I had provided myself with a flag, and now emerged upon the deck clasping it in one hand.