Dutch the Diver; Or, A Man's Mistake
Page 5
STORY ONE, CHAPTER FIVE.
A WAKING DREAM.
The next day, after a long and busy discussion, in which Laure tookeager interest, and during which plans were made as to stores, arms forprotection against the Indians of the coast they were to visit, liftingand diving apparatus, and the like, the Cuban was installed at thecottage, and that first night Dutch saw again upon his face that intenseadmiration the dark, warm-blooded Southerner felt for the fair youngEnglish girl. For girl she still was, with a girl's ways, prettilymingled with her attempts to play the part of mistress of her own house.The young husband felt a pang of jealous misery await him as he satback in the shade of his prettily-furnished drawing-room, seeing theirvisitor hover about the piano while Hester sang, paying endlessattentions with the polish and courtesy of a foreigner, various littlerefined acts--such as would never have occurred to the bluff youngEnglishman.
"I'm a jealous fool--that's what I am," said Dutch to himself; "and if Igo on like this I shall be wretched all the time he is here. I won'thave it--I won't believe it. She is beautiful--God bless her! and noman could see her without admiring her. I ought to be proud of hisadmiration instead of letting it annoy me; for, of course, it's hisforeign way of showing it. An Englishman would be very different; butwhat right have I to fancy for a moment that this foreign gentleman, myguest, would harbour a thought that was not honourable to me? There,it's all gone."
He brightened up directly; and as, with a pleasant smile, Laure came tohim soon afterwards and challenged him to a game of chess, the eveningpassed pleasantly away.
The days glided on rapidly enough, with Dutch Pugh always repeating tohimself the stern reproof that he was unjust to his guest and to hisyoung wife to allow a single thought of ill to enter his heart; and tokeep these fancies away he worked harder than ever at the preparationsfor the voyage, being fain, though, to confess that one thing that urgedhim on was the desire to be rid of his guest.
"I don't think much of these furren fellows," said Rasp, one day, when,after a shorter stay than usual at the offices, Laure had effusivelypressed Dutch's hand and gone back to the cottage. "How does Mrs Puglike him?"
Dutch started, but said, quietly--
"Suppose we get on with the packing of that air-pump, Rasp. You hadbetter get in a couple of the men."
"All right," grumbled the old fellow; "I wasn't going to leave itundone; but if I was a married man with a 'ansum wife, 'ang me if Ishould care about having a smooth-tongued, dark-eyed, scented foreignmonkey of a chap like that at my house."
"You insolent old scoundrel!" cried Dutch, flashing into a rage; and hecaught the old fellow by the throat, but loosened him again with animpatient "Pish!"
Rasp seized the poker and sent the red-hot cinders flying as he stokedaway at the fire.
"I desire that you never speak to me again like that. How dare you!"
"Oh, all right, Mr Pug, I won't speak again," said Rasp. "I didn'tmean no offence. I only said what I thought, and that was as I didn'tlike to see that furren chap always a-hanging after going back to yourhouse, when he ought to be here, helping to see to the things gettingready."
"Rasp!" said Dutch angrily.
"Well, so he ought to, instead of being away. Nobody wants him to takeoff his yaller kid gloves and work, but he might look on. He's going tobe a niste one, he is, when he gets out in the place where we'rea-going. He'll have a hammock slung and a hawning over it when he getsout in the hot sunshine, that's about what he'll do, and lie on his backand smoke cigarettes while one works. Say, Mr Pug, I wish you wasgoing with us!"
He went and had another stoke at the fire, and glanced at Dutch's back,for he was writing, and made no response. "Sulky, and won't speak,"muttered Rasp; and, going out, banged the door after him.
"The fancies of a vulgar mind," said Dutch to himself, as soon as he wasalone. "The coarse belief of one who cannot understand the purity offeeling and thought of a true woman; and I actually let such ideas havea place in my breast. Bah! It's disgraceful!"
He glanced round the office, and then angrily devoted himself once moreto his work, for it seemed as if the great goggle-eyed diving-helmetswere once more bending forward and laughing at him derisively.
"I will not have this office made so hot," he muttered impatiently; andhe worked on for some time, but only to fall dreaming again, as he said,"A little more than a fortnight and we shall be ready. Good luck to theexpedition. I wish it were gone."
Then, in spite of himself, he began thinking about the conduct of Laureat his house, and wishing earnestly that he had never agreed to hisreception as a guest.
"But, there, he is a perfect gentleman," he argued; "and his conduct tome is almost too effusive. Little Hester must find him all that couldbe desired, or she would complain. Hallo, who is this?"
"Company to see you," said Rasp, roughly; and, as Dutch left his stool,it was to meet Captain Studwick's invalid son and his sister, who camein, accompanied by a quiet, gentlemanly-looking young man, whom heintroduced as Mr Meldon.
"The medical gentleman who attends me now," said John Studwick, smiling;"not that I want much, do I, Mr Meldon?"
"Well, no, we will not call you an invalid, Mr Studwick," said thestranger.
"Fact is," said John Studwick, "I've set up a medical man of my own.Mr Meldon is going with us on the voyage."
"What voyage?" said Dutch, eagerly.
"Oh, you don't know, of course," said John Studwick, laughing. "Myfather thinks a sea voyage will set me right, and I am going in the _SeaKing_. Bessy's going too."
"Indeed," said Dutch, looking from one to the other, while Bessycoloured slightly, and turned away.
"Yes, it's just settled this morning. Mr Parkley is willing, so weshall have a sea voyage and adventure too. I say, Mr Pugh, you askedme to come to your house."
"Yes, and I shall be very glad," said Dutch, smiling.
"Well, can we fix a day when we may be introduced to this Spanish Cubangentleman? I'm curious to know my fellow-passenger. Sick man's fancy."
"Thursday week, then," said Dutch, eagerly. "Mr Meldon, perhaps, willjoin us."
"I shall be very happy," replied that individual.
And he glanced at Bessy, who coloured again slightly; and then, after afew words about the voyage, in which John Studwick expressed his regretthat Dutch was not going on the expedition, the little party went away.
"If I'm not mistaken," said Dutch to himself, as he climbed to hisstool, "there's somebody there to heal the sore place in poor Bessy'sheart. Poor girl! If I was not coxcombical to say so, I should thinkshe really was fond of me. There, come forth, little loadstone," hesaid, with a look of intense love lighting up his countenance, andraising the lid of his desk he took from a drawer a photographic carteof his wife, and set it before him, to gaze at it fondly.
"I don't think I could have cared for Bessy Studwick, darling, even ifthere had been no Hester in the world."
As he gazed tenderly at the little miniature of his wife's features,there seemed to come a peculiar look in the eyes--the expression on theface became one of pain.
He knew it was fancy, but he gazed on at the picture till hisimagination took a wider leap, and as if it were quite real, so realthat in his disturbed state he could not have declared it untrue, he sawHester seated in their own room, with every object around clearlydefined, her head bent forward, and the Cuban kneeling at her feet, andpressing her hands to his lips.
So real was the scene that he started away from the desk with a loudcry, oversetting his stool, and letting the heavy desk lid fall with acrash.
In a moment Rasp ran into the office, armed with a heavy diver's axe,and then stood staring in amazement.
"Is any one gone mad?" he growled.
"It was nothing, Rasp," said Dutch, wiping the perspiration from hisforehead.
"I never heard nothing make such a row as that afore," growled Rasp.
And then, putting the axe down, he made for the poker, had a
good stokeat the fire, and went out muttering.
Dutch opened the desk on the instant, but the scene was gone, andhastily closing the lid again he began to pace the room.
For a moment his intention was to rush off home, but he restrainedhimself for the time, and tried to recall the past; but his brain was ina whirl. At last he grew more calm, and took out his watch.
"Only five o'clock," and he had said that he should get some dinnerwhere he was, stop late at work, and not be home till after nine.
He was to stay there and work for another three or four hours--to makecalculations that required all his thought, when he had seen or conjuredup that dreadful sight. No: he could not bear it. His nerves tingled,his brain was throbbing, and incipient madness seemed to threaten hisreason as he prepared to obey the influence that urged him to go home.
"The villain!" he groaned. "It must be a warning. Heaven help me, Iwill know the worst."