CHAPTER XVIII.
LAST DAYS TOGETHER.
There was something indescribably disheartening in the looks of thedismasted "International" as the twins came forth, refreshed by severalhours of welcome slumber, after the long agony of the past night. Thecarpenters were already hard at work cutting away the sad remnants ofthe graceful, tapering mizzen-mast, which had been one of the beautiesof the comely steamer, and a considerable space had been cleared forthe passengers over which awnings were stretched; but the approach toit was somewhat choked and difficult.
Faith was first to reach the deck, and as she approached, young Allynestepped forward from behind a rubbish heap, and said eagerly,
"I'm glad to see you out, at last! It's a beautiful morning after thestorm. Let me pilot you across these chips to that nice chair."
"Thank you," was Faith's rather stiff response. But he would not giveher time to be cool and unfriendly.
"Would you ever believe it could have been so dreadful last night?" herattled on. "But you were very brave, Miss Hosmer!"
"Was I?" asked Faith, almost overpowered by his friendliness.
"Yes, you and your sister both were, for the matter of that--and by theway, how is Texas this morning?"
Faith's eyes began to dance. She mistrusted he had taken her for hersister again and, following his glance, became sure of it; for Hope wasnow approaching, along with Dwight, and the instant Tom Allyne's eyesfell upon her he felt intuitively that she was the girl he had beenreally waiting for, and his quick, annoyed glance proved the fact toFaith. She did not feel so chagrined over it as she might, had shegreatly cared for his liking, and answered briskly,
"You mean Andy, don't you? Texas is the parrot, and belongs to Hope.There she comes now--shall we go to her?"
Nothing loth, Mr. Allyne followed her lead, and, as he stood talkingwith the two, made a closer survey than ever before, resolving that hewould not make this mistake again. Had he ever made it before? Thequestion, suddenly occurring to his inner consciousness, ratherstartled him. He would not mind pouring his thoughts out to Hope, whowas so frank and jolly, but he felt rather afraid of this other girl,whom he had once offended. Yet, the longer he compared the two, as hestood opposite in merry conversation, addressing first one, then theother, the more certain he felt that Hope was not the girl in whom hehad confided a few evenings since. And if not, what a donkey he hadmade of himself!
He tried to remember just what had passed, and grew silent anduncomfortable as he made the effort. How was it Dwight never mixed thetwo? He began to feel that keen, observing eyes were pretty goodthings to have. He should certainly cultivate his own, in future! Asthis undercurrent of musings reached definite conclusion, he broke out,boyishly,
"I'll know you apart after this, or know the reason why!"
"And how?" asked Dwight.
"Well, how do you, my boy?" was the quick counter-question.
Thus caught, the boy flushed and grinned broadly.
"Oh, I don't have to tell," he objected, with a shake of the head.
They all naturally began to insist, however, and he at length yielded,with the outburst, "Well, if it makes anybody mad, I can't help it."
"Of course not!" laughed Allyne. "Personal remarks are bound to makesomebody mad, but that's just what makes them spicy. Proceed, youngman, proceed!"
"Well then," slowly, "just watch the two for a minute, and make themlaugh--" Of course, at this, they with the others standing near, didbreak into laughter--"there! Can't you see? Hope shows all her teeth,and a big dimple in the corner of her mouth; Faith smiles just enoughto show a little of hers, and there isn't any dimple. So, when I'm notsure, I just say something funny, and if the mouth is big and dimpled,I know it's Hope without any mistake. Now, I knew you'd be mad, butwhat on earth ails Faith? _She_ looks madder than you do?"
It was a fact. Hope had drawn herself up, not half pleased to have thesize of her mouth--which was a sensitive feature--so questioned; butFaith had turned entirely away with sudden coolness, miffed because shedid not look jolly, and display a dimple like the special one, thepossession of which she had always envied her sister. It was anexhibition of female weakness entirely unexpected by Tom Allyne, andfor some reason pleased him wonderfully. He turned from one to theother, full of hypocritical glee, though the face he then bent uponDwight was severe in the extreme.
"See here, sir! Don't you know better than to say such things? Why,you as much as insinuate that one or the other of these young ladieshas a blemish! Now that--"
"See here!" broke out poor Dwight, not entirely sure who was mostabusing him, "who set me up to saying what I did, anyhow? I think it'sdownright mean for you all to turn on a fellow so! You all promisednot to be mad, and now see you!"
"You are right," said Faith, turning quickly. "I am ashamed of myselffor minding such a trifle! But I do sometimes get tired of beingreminded that Hope is so much nicer and jollier than I."
"And I that Faith is so much more refined and ladylike!" added theother. Then both broke into laughter, Hope's white teeth and deepdimple showing plainly, and Faith's half-sad sweetness veiling hermerriment to a tamer expression.
"It would spoil everything if you were either of you one whitdifferent," cried Allyne, with fervor. "And, Dwight, I want to thankyou for letting me into your little secret. I can never be deceivedagain."
"Are you certain of that?" asked Mr. Carnegie, as he joined the group."I wish I could be so sure! But come, let's drop personalities. I'vebeen sent to ask you to join a reading-club--"
"A reading-club?" shouted everybody.
"Yes. It is Mrs. Poinsett's hour to read to Lady Moreham, and shekindly suggested our joining them. Would you like to?"
"Lady Moreham? How wonderful!" murmured Allyne, and the sistersexchanged meaning glances.
But Dwight looked dubious.
"I'd rather hear one of Quint's yarns," he remarked, frankly.
Quint was a good-natured sailor, with a broad saber cut on one cheekthat would have ruined his looks for some, but made him only the moreinteresting to Dwight. Besides, he had a capacity for reeling offyarns, that was irresistible, and even Hope's charms paled before hisrarer attractions.
The boy now went below to find the man, and the girls started withCarnegie for the main saloon. After a few steps the latter looked backover his shoulder, and saw Allyne gazing somewhat moodily after them.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked pleasantly, turning back.
"Am I wanted?" was returned quickly.
"Of course, if you like to go," laughed the young officer, and Allynestrode forward.
Their loitering had widened the space between them and the girls, andsuddenly Tom Allyne began, in a low voice,
"Carnegie, I haven't had an opportunity before, so now I make haste tosay that I thank you for showing me that a fellow need not be of thenamby-pamby kind because he lets the stuff alone. I used to think thatboys with any spirit must drink and carouse, occasionally, but I'velearned better now. I watched you last night."
The other turned with a rapid movement.
"Watched me?"
"Yes, you were cool and brave. When the captain needed volunteers youworked like a Trojan, and never flinched. And I believe you knew thespecial danger too, as well as----"
"Sh-h!" Carnegie glanced about with an alarmed air. "Did you knowtoo?"
"I began to suspect soon after we went to work, and a low word of thecaptain to his mate, which I, too, caught, convinced me. You see, wewere packed close in there! It wasn't any too safe."
Chester Carnegie's eyes were upon him.
"And you praise me for bravery when you were there and knew it all?" hesaid. "I begin to think somebody else is no coward, either, Allyne!"
He held out his hand, and they clasped silently. Then the latter said,in a deprecating tone,
"Personal fear is not my weakness. I wonder, Carnegie, if thesepassengers will ever know how close that fire came t
o your consignmentof ammunition, last night."
"No, never! How did you suspect my share in the matter?"
"You were the first to offer your services. You persisted in workingat a spot from which the rest of us had been warned, and the captainallowed it. I knew there must be method in your madness."
"You were right; it was a personal duty, and I could not have doneotherwise. But you had no such motive, Allyne, and yet, understandingthe danger, as you evidently did, you stood to your work as close to meas you could get. I like a brave man!"
"Well, if it has wiped out old scores, Carnegie--"
"It has. But come--they are beckoning. I'll tell you something,however. After it was over, last night, and the captain and I werecongratulating ourselves, he remarked, with a jerk of his thumb towardyour grimy self, 'That young man's head is too cool to be muddled upwith the devil's brew. I'm sorry about that!'"
The last words were whispered hurriedly, and there was no time torespond, but Allyne's face shone as the ladies greeted them, with merryreproaches for their laggardness, and soon all were seated, quietlylistening to Mrs. Poinsett, who was an excellent reader. Faith was notso good a listener, that morning, however. It was an exquisite day,after the storm. The air was of a crystal purity and deliciouscoolness, the sea, rough enough to attract the gaze, yet not so roughas to distract the nerves, and the sky's soft blue was occasionallyflecked with small, faint cloudlets, that seemed like distant flocks ofsheep, grazing in heavenly meadows. Only the battered ship beneaththem recalled the fury of last night's stormburst. But as the memoryof those anxious hours swept over her she looked at Lady Moreham, andwondered that she should so have opened her heart in that time ofwaiting, for just now she seemed as stately and unapproachable as ever.
Then, too, it was so tantalizing that her story should have been brokenoff in the middle, and left there. Would they ever hear its close? Itdid not seem likely. Moved out of herself by the nearness of death,the titled dame had reverted to childish days, speaking her thoughtsaloud. Probably nothing would induce her to speak again.
"However," thought Faith, "father knows and perhaps he'll tell us someday, when he gets a minute's leisure--that is, if he can be convincedthat she would not care. What an honorable man he is! We would neverhave known a lisp from his lips."
But it was a busy time with the captain. Only a day or so out fromBombay, now, he was straining every nerve to restore the vessel tosomething like her normal condition before they should enter port, andit seemed to his daughters that they could scarcely get a dailygreeting from him, even, in his intense absorption. But they couldwait, for, once on shore, he would have more leisure, as the steamerwould be laid up for repairs, and the really saddening thought, now,was that so soon these friends of a month must all separate, to gotheir various ways.
The Vanderhoff party intended soon to start for Poonah, Mr. Carnegiemust take his men to Lucknow, the two attaches were to remain for thepresent at the Secretariat, the Windemeres would meet friends atMagpore, while the Traveler declared vaguely and laughingly that hewould be "off to the jungles," in a day or two. Lady Moreham saidlittle of her plans.
"I shall let circumstances govern me," she answered courteously to allquestions, and no one ventured to interrogate her further.
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