Lord of the Sea

by M. P. Shiel

  L

  THE DECISION

  Somewhat before this hour Admiral O'Hara had arrived at Croydon, alust, a morbid curiosity, now working in this man--having committed theineffable sin, to enjoy its fruit by hearing what Richard Hogarth nowsaid, in what precise way he groaned, or raved, smiled, or wept, orstormed; for he was cruelly in love with Hogarth.

  All the way had come with him the _Mahomet's_ treasurer, with his bag ofwealth--and two pistols.

  So at Dieppe O'Harra had wired to Harris:

  "Meet me at Croydon to-night, the 9.45 from Newhaven, as you love life.Most important. Shall expect wire from you at the London and ParisHotel, Newhaven, not later than six, saying yes".

  But at Newhaven he had found no answer--Harris, in fact, not havingreceived the telegram, having already inflicted his stab, and fled thePalace.

  Whereupon O'Hara, in an agony of doubt, had telegraphed Frankl fromNewhaven:

  "For God's sake find Harris. Make him meet me at Croydon to-night in the9.45 from Newhaven. Do not fail".

  Now, Frankl knew exactly where Harris was--hiding in the Market Streethouse. And he said to himself: "All right: it's got something to dowith money, and a lot of it, too, with all this 'God's sake'. Suppose we_both_ go to Croydon?"

  Hence Frankl missed the joy of seeing the Regent mobbed: for at 9.30 hewas waiting with Harris on the Croydon up-platform.

  And as the train stopped, they two hurried into the compartment whereO'Hara sat alone.

  "You, my friend?" said O'Hara to Frankl.

  "Large as life", replied Frankl: "I and the boy have already made itup between us for a third each: you a third, I a third, Alfie a third:that's fair; I keep the police off the backs of the pair of you, and youpay me a third. What's the figure?"

  In one moment of silence O'Hara plotted; then his tongue yielded to thetemptation of the great words: "Eight-hundred-and-fifty thousand, sir".

  So after three minutes' talk Harris got out, and, as the train started,sprang into a first-class compartment in which was one other occupant.

  Now, it was natural that the treasurer, carrying such a sum, shouldscrutinize any stranger, but Harris disarmed suspicion: his right arm,twisted by Hogarth, was in a sling, and he threw himself aside, andseemed to sleep, between the peak of his cap and his muffler hardly aninch of interval: so the treasurer, too, worn with travel, settled intoa half-drowse.

  Harris, however, like many of his type, was perfectly ambidextrous,often using the left hand by preference; and as the train passedBromley, he darted, plunged his knife, streaked with the Regent's blood,into the treasurer's heart, and huddled the body under the seat.

  No stoppage till London Bridge, where, with the bag, Harris left thetrain, Frankl and O'Hara trotting after his burdened haste; and, aftertwo changes of cabs, the three arrived at the Market Street house.

  There Harris laid the bag on the floor of an empty back room, wherethrough a broken window came a little light, and the three stood lookingdown upon the bag, solemnly as upon a body.

  Then suddenly Harris: "Come, gentlemen of the jury, let's have my shareof the dead meat: and 'ere's off out of it for this child--only thisblooming arm of mine! it's going to get me nabbed as sure as sticks.Never mind--trot it out, Captain! and don't cheat an innocent orphan,lest the ravens of the valley pick out the yellow galls of some o' you".

  Neither of the other two, however, seemed anxious for the division; andafter a minute's silence Frankl said: "The third of 850, I _believe_, is2, 8, 3; how are we going to carry away 283 thousand without somethingto put it in? I vote, Pat, that we leave the bag here, and come anddivide at midnight sharp. How would that do?"

  "Yes", said Harris, "I think I see old Pat leaving the lot with me--whatO! You know 'ow I'd fondle it for you, and keep it out of the cold, coldworld, till you came back, don't you, you bald-headed priest?"

  "Shut your mouth, boy. We can't take it away without something, as Mr.Frankl very justly observes. Aren't there some safes, Frankl, in AdairStreet?"

  "Right you are: and one, as I happen to know, empty. Who'll keep thekey?"

  "You, if you like, my friend. I'll keep the keys of the room-doors. AndHarris will stand guard".

  "The very thing", remarked Frankl.

  So it was agreed. Harris took the bag; they descended to the cellar;then, striking matches, down three marl steps to the subterranean waymade for Hogarth; and along it, forty feet, they stumbled bent, Harrisgripped by each sleeve.

  Then in the Adair Street Board Room they lit a candle, and in the roomnext it found the safes, the largest of which admitting the bag, Frankllocked its door, took the key; O'Hara then locked the room door, tookthe key; and at the stair-bottom locked another door, took the key; sothat Frankl could not now get at the bag without him, nor he withoutFrankl, nor Harris without both.

  Two then went away, while Harris, sprawling cynically on a solitarychair down in the parlour with straight open legs, awaited the_rendezvous_ at twelve.

  He had not, however, sat very long, when the taper at his feet glaredon a face of terror at a sound of ghosts in the tomb that the house was,and he started to his feet, prone, snatching his knife--thinking, asalways, of the Only Reality, the police. But he had not prowled threeecstatic steps when O'Hara stood before him.

  "Oh, damned fool!" he went with infinite contempt and reproach, "tofrighten anybody like that! What's it you are after now? Frightenanybody like that...."

  "_Alfie_!"--O'Hara whispered it breathfully as the hoarse sirocco,stepping daintily like the peacock. Tell it not in Gath! If Alfie rammedthe knife into the marrow of Frankl's back at the moment when the safewas opened, then Alfie would have, not a third, but a half; and thething was desirable for this reason: that a half is greater than athird...

  Harris saw that: but he seemed reluctant, meditating upon the ground;then walking, hands in pockets.

  "Why, boy, he is only an interloper", said O'Hara: "I meant the money tobe divided fairly between you and me. Why should this Jew come in?"

  "All right", said Harris: "I don't mind".

  "And I know a little castle in Granada, Alfie, which we'll buy--"

  "All right: you go away. It's agreed".

  And O'Hara hurried away, took a cab, drove for the Palace; while Harris,left alone, sat serious, with sprawling straight legs, and presentlymuttered: "Blind me, I must be going dotty or something! p'raps it'sthis arm...."

  He had not thought of killing Frankl, until it had been suggested!--someclass-habit, or instinct, of honour among thieves (which, however, hisreason despised)...But five minutes after O'Hara had gone he startedalert, staring, with tight fist, and, "All right, you two", said he,"blood it is!"

  He sat again: and again, after twenty minutes, the house gave asound--Frankl, who had let himself in by the front door, each memberpossessing a key to that.

  "Well, Alf", said he, "all alone? Then, we two can have a little chatbetween us little two".

  And he stood and talked, while Harris sprawled and listened, Frankl'sroad to his end being more circuitous than O'Hara's, more hedged, too,with reasons, scruples, sanctions: but he reached it, pointing out thata half is greater than a third; also that O'Hara would be a continualwitness against Harris' past, whereas he, Frankl, left England for Asiathe next morning.

  Alfie pretended aversion to bloodshed, but finally consented; upon whichFrankl went away, and took cab for Scotland Yard: his idea being to haveHarris arrested red-handed in the murder of O'Hara.

  The streets through which he drove wore a singular aspect--of commotion,hurry, unrest, two dragoon-orderlies galloping past him at the MarbleArch, in Whitehall the tramp of some line-regiment battalion, andhe said to himself: "He is going to fight it out with them, Isuppose--Satan take the lot!"

  At Scotland Yard he said to the Inspector in Charge, having given hiscard, that if two officers were placed at his disposition, he mightbe able to lead them to the arrest of a man long "wanted", who nowpremeditated another murder.

  Meantime,
O'Hara was in conversation with Loveday in the Regent'slibrary, nearer the centre of which stood a group of four with theirheads together--Prime Minister, First Lord, War Office Secretary, aNaval Lord; further still, a spurred General, cloaked over his out-stucksword, writing, with a wet white brow; and, "I suppose he will want tosee you", said Loveday, "if you have anything to say. But the doctorshave first to be reckoned with: I suppose you know that he has beenstabbed and beaten".

  "Stabbed! by whom?"

  "By Harris".

  "No! When?"

  "This afternoon".

  "Ah! I did not know".

  "It was by your recommendation, it appears, that Harris became CaptainMacnaghten's servant", said Loveday with his smile, looking very gauntand bent-down.

  "Tut, sir!"--from O'Hara--"you are not my judge: I am here to see theLord of the Sea, my King".

  "Ah!--you still give him the title".

  And now O'Hara, drawing his chair nearer to ask: "_How did he take it?_"stretching back the waiting mouth to hear that thing.

  "The Lord Regent? Well, at eight-thirty he went to the House of Lords,where they beat him nearly to death on the throne, the gentle hearts,and the doctors forbade me to speak to him of the Sea; but his eyesseemed to question me, so I leant over, and told him".

  "Yes--and whatever did he say?"

  He said: "'What, old Pat?'"

  O'Hara rose to stand by a hearth, black-robed to the heels and tonsured,and at the angle of his jaw some sinews ribbed and moved: not a syllablenow from him.

  "I am going in now to him", said Loveday: "if you care to wait here, Iwill see"--and passing through a palace pretty busy that night withfeet and a thousand working purposes, went to sit at the sick bed, thedoctors retiring.

  "How is the pain?"

  "The pain", said the Regent very weakly, "is nonsense: I am not going tobe bullied by doctors, but shall do exactly as I like".

  "And what is that, Richard?"

  "There is a Normandy village, John, called Valee-les-Noisettes--whitehouses with an extraordinary sound of forest about, one of Poussin'slandscapes, with a smithy under a chestnut precisely as in the poem; andthe blacksmith is a charming man. I dare say someone will find me moneyenough to purchase a share of his smithy: and with him I shall work,starting for him before sunrise, with my sister".

  Loveday, wondering if he was delirious, said irrelevantly: "I have totell you that by five A.M. there will be 15,000 additional infantry inLondon, with--"

  "Ah, I wish they'd lend them me to send out to those poor Jews, John.But, for myself--I was mad when I gave that order. It won't do! theworld is addicted to its orbit, and relapses. I don't say that itwill be always so, but it is now. As against the Empire of the Seaarises--Pat O'Hara; as against the brushing aside of these rebelsarise--Germany, Russia, the hostile world. Consider the rancour of thenations at Britain's late advantages in sea-rent, try to conceive thescream of jubilation that rings to the sky to-night against her, andagainst me. Do you think I could _now_ start a civil war in England? forthe satisfaction of my own pride? I call God to witness that never formy own pride have I done aught, but that the Kingdom of God mightcome. I know that bitter tears will flow at the fall of the righteousman--many calling me 'traitor' for abandoning those ready to die for me.Yet it shall be. I never thought to fail, to fly, John Loveday, chasedby such little fellows: but God has done it. Well, then, the smithy. Youand all, therefore, will find enough to do to-night".

  Loveday lifted a face streaming with tears to say: "The man, O'Hara,waits to see you".

  "Really? Well, come, we will see him...." and in some minutes O'Hara wasthere by the bedside, the eyes of the two fixed together, over Hogarth'sface five oblongs of sticking-plaster, his head bandaged, and at acorner of O'Hara's mouth a twitching.

  "Pat, did you betray me?" asked Hogarth.

  O'Hara nodded: "Yes".

  "Well, you may sit and tell me, and ease your poor heart".

  And a long time O'Hara sat, going into the mighty crime, torturingdetails, revelling in the vastness of the horror, the sickness of theself-inflicted filth, and pangs of the self-inflicted scalpel.

  "And why did you do it, my friend?"

  "Because I worship you...."

  "Well, perhaps I understand you, crooked soul. But what will you donow?"

  "We shall see. What will you?"

  "I am going to France to live as a private person".

  "Tut, you remain as simple as a child: the earth's not large enough tocontain you, you couldn't now remain a private person for three weeks.Come, I have discrowned you: I will give you another crown, though Ishall never see you wear it. Why not go to your own people?"

  "Which people?"

  "The Jews".

  "Don't talk that same madness".

  "My time with you is short, Raphael Spinoza"--O'Hara glanced at hiswatch--"in five minutes we part, never, I do assure you, to meetagain. Listen, then, to me: you are a Jew. I knew your mother--the mostintellectual woman, I suppose, who ever drew breath, the only one whom Ihave loved; and I should have known you merely from your resemblanceto her at my first glance at you in Colmoor, though I had more precisedata: the three moles, the bloodshot eye, for didn't I baptize you?haven't I rocked you in my arms? You know St. Hilda on the hill overWestring, which you found me examining that morning after our escapefrom the prison? I was priest there, three years, and twice I haveconfessed her--ah! and remember it! for when your foster-father wantedher to turn Methodist, she wouldn't stand that, and since she must needsbe a _meshumad_ (apostate), became a Catholic. Well, now, I once saw atThring, and once in the _Boodah_, an old goat-hair trunk of yours: whatis become of it?"

  "I have it--" Hogarth was shivering, his eyes wide, and in his memory astrange singsong crooning of _t'hillim_, heard ages before in some otherworld over a cradle.

  "Did you know that that trunk has a false bottom?" asked O'Hara.

  "Yes".

  "Oh, you knew...And have you never seen a bundle of papers under it?"

  "Yes--I assumed them to be old farm-accounts...."

  "They are all the proofs you need concerning your birth; it is _my_trunk by the way--Ah, I must go!"

  At the door he fastened upon Hogarth a last reluctant gaze to saygood-bye, but Hogarth, staring wildly afar, did not turn his eyes, andO'Hara, with a sigh, was gone.

  He drove to Adair Street, and, as he passed by a mews, Frankl, waitingthere with two detectives, saw him by a street-light, but made noremark.

  When O'Hara entered the house, he looked about for Harris, but Harrishad gone to the lodging of a woman in James Street near, to arrange ahiding-place for the bag, passing out through the Market Street house;and O'Hara, opening the two locked doors, entered the safe-room, wherehe stood waiting, his forehead low, resting on the steel top; and now asob throbbed through his frame, and his lips let out "..._so lovely...sogreat_...."

  Count a minute's stillness: and now the man's soul and being founderedin a storm of sorrow, and half-words borne on shivering puffs of breath,and choking groans, broke the stillness: "My Liege! Richard! my King!"

  This died to silence; and now he roamed the room with furious steps,and lowering brow, and an out-pushed under-lip, until, deciding, hedrew from his pocket a penknife, opened it, leant now one elbow on thesafe-top, blade in hand, considered, considered, hesitating, then withlifted chin and the thinnest whimpering like a puppy, pretty pitiful,cut from under his left ear to the chin.

  Certainly a hurt so shallow could never have killed, for the hand hadbeen cherishingly restrained, and the thing was no sooner done thanthe priest, seeing that he did not die, ran horror-eyed, streaming withblood, shouting a hoarse whisper: "Help! help! help!"

  But at that cry he sighed, fell back, and effectually died, his heartpierced by the knife of Harris.

  And some moments later the face of Frankl, who bore a candle, looked inat the door.

  "Is that all right, Alfie?"--in the weakest whisper.

  "Come on in, and don't a
sk any questions", said Harris.

  Frankl entered, peered upon the dead visage of the priest; then, thedetectives being now behind the parlour-door below, with handcuffs, roseto run to summon them: but, to his horror, Harris was now before thedoor; he saw in the candlelight those eyes of Alfie fixed upon him: andhe knew: before the least threat or movement by Harris, the Jew sent toHeaven a piercing shriek, his hour come....

  "...dirty-livered Jew..." striking in the breast, and, as Frankl fell,he gave him one other in the temple, with "Down, down to hell, andsye _I_ sent thee thither"; and to dead O'Hara near he gave one in thecheek, with "Go up, thou bald-head, it _is_": all in two seconds' space;and he was now about to turn anew to hack at Frankl, when his keen earheard a creak; and he sprang up a spinning motionlessness--the Realitybefore him.

  And instantly on the realization of that fact, he was submissive,reverent, as before the very Helmet of Pallas, goddess of Blue; and saidhe with sullen dejection, reverent of the Helmet, but easy with the man:"All right: you've beat me...I suppose it's that Regent-stabbing affairbrought you: it was I did it all right".

  When they went down, almost from the door a crowd gathered, pressingclose, Harris' hands and front all red from O'Hara's throat; and whenone policeman, big with the fact, whispered a gentleman: "You may haveheard, sir, that the Regent was stabbed to-day--it's been kept preciousdark, but the fact's so: this is the beauty as done it", like loosenedeffluvia that news flew--but distorted, largened--the stains wereRegent's blood!--and beyond measure had the crowd spread ere it reachedthe Edgware Road.

  There at the corner, as the officers looked about for a cab, and oneblew a whistle, a man reached out and fiercely struck Harris on theface, while another shouted: "Lynch the beggar!"; and now arose ahustling, huddled impulses, and now in full vogue that grave noising ofcongregations when the voice of God jogs them; while Harris, excessivelypallid, handcuffed, began to whistle; a number of other police nowseeking the crowd's centre, but with difficulty; a cab, too, slowlymaking a way which closed like water round it: and when this had nearlyreached him, Harris, in his eagerness to get in, sprang far towardit--and slipped. He never rose again: the crowd rolled over his lasthowl, and in the midst of a great row as of hounds, trampled him to apaste.

  About that very time that better man whom he had stabbed, in tying upin bed a bundle of old papers, was saying: "Yes, I will go to mypeople"....

  And by six A.M. he was up, in his study, dressed, looking quite owlishwith his excess of eyes, which, however, danced at the first news of themorning--the arrival at Portsmouth of the _Boodah II_., which had racedlike a carrier-bird since 8.30 P.M. of the 29th, full of the news of thevanished _Mahomet_: on her being 200 marines.

  After that he spoke through the telephone with variousGovernment-offices, early astir that morning, till the Private Secretarylooked in with the announcement that his train would be ready in tenminutes.

  His last act in the Palace was the sending to the Treasurer atJerusalem, for Miss Frankl, the telegram:

  "Be surprised, but believe: I am a Jew." "RICHARD".

  Of the Household some fifty, catching wind of what was toward, offered,even begged, to go with him; but in general he refused, and set out witha suite of only seven.

  They reached Hastings at twenty minutes to ten, where, to the disgustof all, the region of Central Station was found crowded; whereupon SirFrancis Yeames held a consultation with a local rector, and a dash wasmade to a private hotel near the pier.

  There, looking from behind window curtains at eleven, Hogarth saw beforea paper-shop:

  FLIGHT OF THE REGENT

  A minute afterwards he started backward from the splintered window.

  Everything was known:

  LIFE-HISTORY OF THE CONVICT HOGARTH MARVELLOUS DETAILS

  The street, to its two vanishing-points, was one scene of hats, mixedwith upturned faces: and it was an aggressive crowd that gave out asound.

  Not till noon did the _Boodah II._ arrive; and then there was no settingout--all the front windows of the house now broken, and in the town arow like the feeding-time of lions, which uttered "coward", "murderer","convict", "traitor". Hogarth had been put to bed, the two ladieswere in a state of scare, Margaret anon crying on Loveday's shoulder,declaring that "_He_" (meaning Frankl) was in the crowd, and coming,coming, boring his way: she had seen him.

  At last, near four P.M., a portion of the yard-wall at the back wasbroken down by the party, Hogarth was raised and dressed, and throughthe breach the party passed into another back-yard, then made beachward,Hogarth leaning on the arm of Sir Martin Phipps; but they had no soonercome to the Esplanade than they were surrounded, and when, on theirattaining the pier, the pier-turnstile was closed against the mob, itwas impossible to conceive whence so many missiles came. Once Hogarthstopped, faced round, looked at them, but now a pebble bruised his lefttemple, and he dropped, fainting.

  Caught up by Sir Martin, Loveday, Sir Francis Yeames, and ColonelLord Hallett of the body-guard, he was hurried, a hanging concave withabandoned head, to the long-waiting boat, and it was in a scurry ofescape, out of stroke, that the oarsmen rowed away.

  Yonder lay the yacht with her fires banked, and was soon under weigh.

  She had started, when a harbour-master's motor-boat was observed givingchase, in her an officer from Scotland Yard who bore a bag, found bymeans of the key in Frankl's pocket in the Adair Street safe; on itsclasp the name "Mahomet", and it contained L850,000: so that the yachtwent wealthy on her way.