"Bring her to the wind, Mr. Hubbard," said Peabody.
As the Delaware came round, he saw the Calypso's yards swing too. It might have been a well-executed drill, the way the two ships rounded to, exactly simultaneously. A moment later the Bulldog and the Racer did the same, and all four ships lay motionless in the bay while the Tigresse bore up for them. They saw a boat drop from her side, as she hove to, and pull towards the Delaware; directly afterwards Captain Dupont was being piped on board by the hurriedly assembled boatswain's mates.
"His Excellency," said Dupont to Peabody after the formal greetings had been exchanged, "would esteem it an honor if you would visit him in the Tigresse."
"His Excellency?" said Peabody.
The last time he had seen the Marquis was at the ball the night before. It seemed probable that no one had had much sleep last night.
"It would be a favor as well as an honor," said Dupont, gravely, creasing his rounded belly in another bow.
"Oh, I'll come," said Peabody.
It was just the same as yesterday; it seemed as if nothing had happened during the last twenty-four hours as Peabody took off his hat once more to the Marquis, on the deck of the Tigresse, and then bowed to Davenant. The Marquis was elegantly dressed in a buff-colored coat with a pink-and-blue fancy waistcoat beneath it, and showed no sign of a disturbed night; Peabody, conscious of the disordered full dress which he still wore, and of his unshaven face, was glad to see that Davenant, too, was red-eyed and untidy, the gray sprouts of his beard showing on his cheeks.
"It is most pleasant," said the Marquis, "to have the honor of repeated visits from you two gentlemen like this."
"You don't find it pleasant at all," said Peabody. He was in no mood for airy and long-winded nothings.
"Hospitality would forbid my saying that, even if it were true," answered the Marquis. "But your suggestion naturally encourages me to speak more freely. I must confess that I did not succeed in getting a wink of sleep last night owing to my anxiety lest the guests of France, for whose reception I am responsible to His Most Christian Majesty, should unconsciously violate any of the accepted conventions."
"Look here, Your Excellency," said Davenant, "what we both want to know is why you stopped us this morning. We weren't breaking any of your rules."
"I had reason to fear that one or other of you might do so shortly," answered the Marquis. "It was a very close race which you were sailing."
"Well, what of it? There's nothing wrong in that. One or the other of us, as you say, would have got out first."
"And would the other one have stopped then?" The Marquis's expression was severe as he looked at them. "You would have crossed the line almost together, and in five seconds you would have been fighting. How would the neutrality of France have appeared then, to have allowed such a thing to happen? It is my duty, gentlemen, to use every means in my power to prevent such an occurrence."
There was much solid truth and common sense in what the Marquis was saying; Peabody stole a glance at Davenant and saw that the British captain was impressed by the argument — naturally, the fact that the argument was backed up by thirty-two-pounders gave it increased cogency.
"I must give you notice that whenever I see there is any possibility," went on the Marquis, "of your two ships leaving the bay together, I shall stop you, without hesitation."
Davenant rubbed his bristling chin.
"I'm damned if I can see," he said, "why we ever gave Martinique back to you at all."
The Marquis ignored the implied rudeness, which he could well do in his present position of authority.
"It has caused us all the loss of a night's sleep," he said.
Meanwhile Peabody had been digesting the facts of the situation, with results which were surprising him.
"But how are we ever going to get out of here?" he asked.
"That's what I want to know, by jingo," said Davenant.
The glance which Davenant and Peabody exchanged showed that both of them saw the difficulties of the position. British and Americans would watch each other like hawks, and at the first sign of one making ready to leave the other would rush to forestall him. During daylight, at least, neither side would have a moment's leisure or relief from tension.
"I cannot see any answer to that question myself," said the Marquis. "I must apologize for it."
"But dammit, sir," said Davenant, "you can't keep us here indefinitely."
"I appreciate the pleasure of your company, Sir Hubert," said the Marquis, "but I assure you that I am making no effort to detain you. Please do not think me inhospitable when I point out that your presence here occasions me a considerable personal inconvenience. I should of course be delighted to oblige you two gentlemen in any way possible, if I might act as intermediary in any arguments you might care to enter into."
Once more Peabody and Davenant exchanged glances.
"You might perhaps spin a coin for it," suggested the Marquis.
The struggle apparent on the faces of both the captains at the suggestion made first the Marquis and then them themselves smile. It was tempting at first — an even chance of success or failure. But Davenant thought of the damage the Delaware might do if the spin of the coin were unlucky for him; and Peabody thought of the fact that the Delaware was the only United States ship of war not closely blockaded in an American port.
"I'm damned if I do," said Davenant.
"I wouldn't have agreed if you'd wanted to," said Peabody.
The Marquis sighed, as a very gentle reminder that his patience was being tried.
"You gentlemen can't agree upon anything?" he said.
"Why the hell should we?" said Davenant.
"Then I shall have to keep the Tigresse out here all day long and every day, and the battery guns manned and pointed," said the Marquis. "Really, gentlemen, you have very little consideration for your host."
"That's nothing compared with what we'll be going through," said Davenant irritably.
"Well, perhaps," said the Marquis, tentatively, "there is another course possible."
"And what is that, sir?" asked Peabody, his curiosity roused.
"I was going to suggest, gentlemen, that perhaps you might agree on a short armistice. You might for instance give each other your promise not to make any attempt to leave Fort-de-France for some definite period — a week, might I say? That would give you an opportunity to water your ships and rest your men, and give me a chance to get some sleep. You would benefit and I would benefit and Martinique would benefit."
"By Jove!" exclaimed Davenant. To him it was obviously a new idea, and Peabody, watching him closely, saw that he was tempted. He was tempted himself. There was a good deal of the Delaware's standing rigging which needed resetting-up, and he might perhaps heave her over and do a good job of work on the troublesome shot-hole forward. But then Davenant shook his head.
"But what would happen at the end of the week?" he asked.
"At the end of the week you would be no worse off than now," said the Marquis. "You might even be better off. You might even have received orders from your Admiral which would take some of the responsibility off your shoulders."