第11章

“Youweresayingjustnowyoudidn’tunderstand，“hewentonslowly，withoutlookingup；“soyoumusttakeyourownbearingsfromwhatI’mtellingyou。WhenImetyouthatnightIhadjustarrivedfromMelbourne。IhadbeenluckyinsometradingspeculationsIhadoutthere，andIhadsomebillswithme，butnomoneyexceptwhatIhadtuckedintheskinofthatportmanteauandafewpapersconnectedwithmyfamilyathome。WhenamanlivestherovingkindoflifeIhave，helearnstokeepallthathecaresforunderhisownhat，andisn’tapttoblabtofriends。ButitgotoutinsomewayonthevoyagethatIhadmoney，andastherewasamixedlotof’Sydneyducks’and’ticketofleavemen’onboard，itseemstheyhatchedanicelittleplottowaylaymeonthewharfonlanding，robme，anddropmeintodeepwater。Tomakeitseemlesssuspicious，theyassociatedthemselveswithalotofcrimpswhowereonthelookoutforoursailors，whoweregoingashorethatnighttoo。I’dmysuspicionsthatacoupleofthosemenmightbewaitingformeattheendofthewharf。Ilefttheshipjustaminuteortwobeforethesailorsdid。ThenImetyou。

Thatmeeting，mylad，wasmyfirststeptowardsalvation。Forthetwomenletyoupasswithmyportmanteau，whichtheydidn’trecognize，asIknewtheywouldME，andsupposedyouwereastranger，andlaylow，waitingforme。I，whowentintothegin-

millwiththeothersailors，wasfoolishenoughtodrink，andwasdruggedandcrimpedastheywere。Ihadn’tthoughtofthat。A

poordevilofaticketofleaveman，aboutmysize，wasknockeddownforme，and，“headded，suppressingalaugh，“willbeburied，deeplylamented，inthechancelofDorntonChurch。Whiletherowwasgoingon，theskipper，fearingtoloseothermen，warpedoutintothestream，andsoknewnothingofwhathappenedtome。Whentheyfoundwhattheythoughtwasmybody，hewaswillingtoidentifyitinthehopethatthecrimemightbechargedtothecrimps，andsodidtheothersailorwitnesses。ButmybrotherBill，whohadjustarrivedherefromCallao，wherehehadbeenhuntingforme，hushedituptopreventascandal。Allthesame，Billmighthaveknownthebodywasn’tmine，eventhoughhehadn’tseenmeforyears。“

“Butitwasfrightfullydisfigured，sothatevenI，whosawyouonlyonce，couldnothaveswornitwasNOTyou，“saidRandolphquickly。

“Humph！“saidCaptainDorntonmusingly。“Billmayhaveactedonthesquare——thoughhewasinad——dhurry。“

“But，“saidRandolpheagerly，“youwillputanendtoallthisnow。

Youwillassertyourself。Youhavewitnessestoproveyouridentity。“

“Steady，lad，“saidthecaptain，wavinghispipegently。“OfcourseIhave。But“——hestopped，laiddownhispipe，andputhishandsdoggedlyinhispockets——“ISITWORTHIT？“SeeingthelookofamazementinRandolph’sface，helaughedhislowlaugh，andsettledhimselfbackinhischairagain。“No，“hesaidquietly，“ifitwasn’tformyson，andwhat’sduehimasmyheir，Isuppose——

IreckonI’djustchuckthewholed——dthing。“

“What！“saidRandolph。“Giveuptheproperty，thetitle，thefamilyhonor，thewrongdonetoyourreputation，thepunishment“——

Hehesitated，fearinghehadgonetoofar。

CaptainDorntonwithdrewhispipefromhismouthwithagestureofcaution，andholdingitup，said:“Steady，lad。We’llcometoTHAT

byandby。Astothepropertyandtitle，IcutandrunfromTHEM

tenyearsago。Tometheymeantonlytheoldthing——thelifeofacountrygentleman，thehunting，theshooting，thewholebeastlybusinessthattheland，overthere，hangslikeamillstoneroundyourneck。Theymeantallthistome，wholovedadventureandtheseafrommycradle。Icuttheproperty，forIhatedit，andIhateitstill。IfIwentbackIshouldheartheseacallingmedayandnight；Ishouldfeelthebreathofthesouthwesttradesineverywindthatblewoverthattightlittleislandyonder；Ishouldbealwaysscentingtheoldtrail，lad，thetrailthatleadsstraightoutoftheGatetoswoopdowntotheSouthSeas。Doyouthinkamanwhohasfelthisship’sbowsheaveandplungeunderhiminthelongPacificswell——justaheadofhimareefbreakingwhiteintothelagoon，andbeyondafenceoffeatherypalms——carestofollowhoundsovergrayhedgesunderagrayNovembersky？Andthesociety？Amanwho’sgotaspeakingacquaintanceineveryportfromAcapulcotoMelbourne，whoknowseverydenandeverylongshoremaninitfromaSouthAmericantiendatoaSamoanbeach-

comber’shut，——whatdoeshewantwithsociety？“HepausedasRandolph’seyeswerefixedwonderinglyonthefirstsignofemotiononhisweather-beatenface，whichseemedforamomenttoglowwiththestrengthandfreshnessofthesea，andthensaid，withalaugh:

“Youstare，lad。Well，foralltheDorntonsareratherproudoftheirfamily，likeasnottherewassomebeastlyoldDanishpirateamongthemlongago，andI’vegotatasteofhisbloodinme。ButI’mnotquiteasbadasthatyet。“

Helaughed，andcarelesslywenton:“Astothefamilyhonor，I

don’tseethatitwillbehelpedbymyrippingupthewholethingandperhapsshowingthatBillwasalittletoopreviousinidentifyingme。Astomyreputation，thatwasgoneafterIlefthome，andifIhadn’tbeenthelegalheirtheywouldn’thavebotheredtheirheadsaboutme。Myfatherhadgivenmeuplongago，andthereisn’taman，woman，orchildthatwouldn’tnowwelcomeBillinmyplace。“

“Thereisonewhowouldn’t，“saidRandolphimpulsively。

“YoumeanCarolineAvondale？“saidCaptainDorntondryly。

Randolphcolored。“No；ImeanMissEversleigh，whowaswithyourbrother。“

CaptainDorntonreflected。“Tobesure！SibylEversleigh！I

haven’tseenhersinceshewassohigh。Iusedtocallhermylittlesweetheart。SoSybbyrememberedCousinJackandcametofindhim？Butwhendidyoumeether？“heaskedsuddenly，asifthiswastheonlydetailofthepastwhichhadescapedhim，fixinghisfrankeyesuponRandolph。

TheyoungmanrecountedatsomelengththedinnerpartyatDingwall’s，hisconversationwithMissEversleigh，andhisinterviewwithSirWilliam，butspokelittleofMissAvondale。Tohissurprise，thecaptainlistenedsmilingly，andonlysaid:“ThatwaslikeBillytotakeariseoutofyoubypretendingyouweresuspected。That’shisway——alittleroughwhenyoudon’tknowhimandhe’sgotalittlegrogamidships。Allthesame，I’dhavegivensomethingtohaveheardhim’running’you，whenallthewhileyouhadthebiggestbulgeonhim，onlyneitherofyouknewit。“Helaughedagain，untilRandolph，amazedathislevityandindifference，losthispatience。

“Doyouknow，“hesaidbluntly，“thattheydon’tbelieveyouwerelegallymarried？“

ButCaptainDorntononlycontinuedtolaugh，until，seeinghiscompanion’shorrifiedface，hebecamedemure。“IsupposeBilldidn’t，forBillhadsenseenoughtoknowthatotherwisehewouldhavetotakeabackseattoBobby。“

“ButdidMissAvondaleknowyouwerelegallymarried，andthatyoursonwastheheir？“askedRandolphbluntly。

“Shehadnoreasontosuspectotherwise，althoughweweremarriedsecretly。Shewasanoldfriendofmywife，notparticularlyofmine。“

Randolphsatbackamazedandhorrified。ThosewereHERownwords。

Orwasthismandeceivinghimastheothershad？

Butthecaptain，eyinghimcuriously，butstillamusedly，added:“I

eventhoughtofbringingherasoneofmywitnesses，until“——

“Untilwhat？“askedRandolphquickly，ashesawthecaptainhadhesitated。

“UntilIfoundshewasn’ttobetrusted；untilIfoundshewastoothickwithBill，“saidthecaptainbluntly。“Andnowshe’sgonetoEnglandwithhimandtheboy，Isupposeshe’llmakehimcometoterms。“

“Cometoterms？“echoedRandolph。“Idon’tunderstand。“Yethehadaninstinctivefearthathedid。

“Well，“saidthecaptainslowly，“supposeshemightpreferthechanceofbeingthewifeofagrown-upbaronettobeingthegovernessofonewhowasonlyaminor？She’sacutegirl，“headdeddryly。

“But，“saidRandolphindignantly，“youhaveotherwitnesses，I

hope。“

“OfcourseIhave。I’vegottheSpanishrecordsnowfromtheCallaopriest，andthey’reputinasafeplaceshouldanythinghappentome——ifanythingcouldhappentoadeadman！“headdedgrimly。“TheseproofswereallIwaswaitingforbeforeImadeupmymindwhetherIshouldblowthewholething，orletitslide。“

Randolphlookedagainwithamazementatthisstrangemanwhoseemedsoindifferenttotheclaimsofwealth，position，andeventorevenge。Itseemedinconceivable，andyethecouldnothelpbeingimpressedwithhisperfectsincerity。Hewasrelieved，however，whenCaptainDorntonrosewithapparentreluctanceandputawayhispipe。

“Nowlookhere，mylad，I’mrightgladtohaveoverhauledyouagain，whateverhappenedorisgoingtohappen，andthere’smyhanduponit！Now，tocometobusiness。I’mgoingovertoEnglandonthisjob，andIwantyoutocomeandhelpme。“

Randolph’sheartleaped。Theappealrevivedallhisoldboyishenthusiasm，withhissecretloyaltytothemanbeforehim。Buthesuddenlyrememberedhispastillusions，andforaninstanthehesitated。

“Butthebank，“hestammered，scarceknowingwhattosay。

Thecaptainsmiled。“Iwillpayyoubetterthanthebank；andattheendoffourmonths，inwhateverwaythisjobturnsout，ifyoustillwishtoreturnhere，Iwillseethatyouaresecuredfromanyloss。Perhapsyoumaybeabletogetaleaveofabsence。Butyourrealobjectmustbekeptasecretfromeveryone。NotawordofmyexistenceormypurposemustbeblownbeforeIamready。YouandJackRedhillareallthatknowitnow。“

“Butyouhavealawyer？“saidthesurprisedRandolph。

“Notyet。I’mmyownlawyerinthismatteruntilIgetfairlyunderway。I’vestudiedthelawenoughtoknowthatassoonasI