CHAPTER VI
AUSTIN'S POINT OF VIEW
Mrs. Hatherly decided during the ride to the beach that she had seenquite enough of that island in the three days she had spent there, andshe had already gone off to the _Estremedura_ with Muriel and Jacintawhen Austin stood smoking on the little mole. Long undulations oftranslucent brine seethed close past his feet to break with a drowsyroar upon the lava reefs, and the _Estremedura_ lay rolling wildly aquarter of a mile away. A cluster of barefooted men were with difficultyloading her big lancha beneath the mole with the barley-straw the row ofcamels, kneeling in the one straggling street behind him, had broughtdown. The men were evidently tired, for they had toiled waist-deep inthe surf since early morning, and Austin decided to spare them thejourney for his despatch gig.
Accordingly, when the lancha was loaded high with the warm yellow baleshe clambered up on them and bade the crew get under way. The long sweepsdipped, and the craft went stern first towards the reef for a moment ortwo before she crawled out to sea, looking very like a cornstack setadrift as she lurched over the shining swell. Austin lay upon the straw,smoking tranquilly, for everybody leaves a good deal to chance in Spain,and now and then flung a little Castilian badinage at the gasping menwho pulled the big sweeps below. As it happened, they could not see himbecause the straw rose behind them in a yellow wall. They were cheerful,inconsequent fishermen, who would have done a good deal for him, and notaltogether because of the bottle of caA+-a he occasionally gave them.
They had traversed half the distance, when, opening up a point, they meta steeper heave, and when the dripping bows went up after the plungethere was a movement of the barley-straw. Austin felt for a better hold,but two or three bales fetched away as he did so, and in another momenthe plunged down headforemost into the sea. When he came up he found astraw bale floating close beside him, and held on by it while he lookedabout him. The lancha was apparently going on, and it was evident thatalthough the men must have heard the straw fall, they were not awarethat he had gone with it. There was, he surmised, no room for the lostbales, and the men could not have heaved them up on top of the load. Ittherefore appeared probable that they purposed unloading the lanchabefore they came back for them, and he decided to climb up on the bale.
He found it unexpectedly difficult, for when he had almost draggedhimself up the bale rolled over and dropped him in again; while, when hetried to wriggle up the front of it, it stood upright and then fell uponhim. After several attempts he gave it up, and set out for the steamerwith little pieces of barley-straw and spiky ears sticking all over him.He could swim tolerably well, and swung along comfortably enough overthe smooth-backed swell, for his light clothing did not greatly cumberhim. Still, he did not desire that any one beyond the _Estremedura_'screw should witness his arrival.
He was, accordingly, by no means pleased to see Jacinta and MissGascoyne stroll out from the deck-house as he drew in under the_Estremedura_'s side, especially as there were no apparent means ofgetting on board quietly. The lancha had vanished round the stern, theladder was triced up, and the open cargo gangway several feet above thebrine. The steamer also hove up another four or five feet of streamingplates every time she rolled. Still, it was evident that he could notstay where he was on the chance of the ladies not noticing himindefinitely, and as he swam on again Miss Gascoyne broke into astartled scream.
"Oh!" she said, "there's somebody drowning!"
The cry brought Macallister to the gangway, and he was very grimy inengine-room disarray. Austin, in the water, saw the wicked twinkle inhis eyes, and was not pleased to hear Jacinta laugh musically.
"I really don't think he is in any danger," she said.
Austin set his lips, and swam for the gangway as the _Estremedura_rolled down. His flung up hand came within a foot of the opening, andthen he sank back a fathom or more below it as the _Estremedura_ hovethat side of her out of the water. When he swung up again Macallisterwas standing above him with a portentiously sharp boat hook, while twoor three grinning seamen clustered round. The girls were also leaningout from the saloon-deck rails.
"Will ye no keep still while I hook ye!" said the engineer.
"If you stick that confounded thing into my clothes I'll endeavour tomake you sorry," said Austin savagely.
Macallister made a sweep at him, and Austin went down, while one of theseamen, leaning down, grabbed him by the shoulder, when he rose.
"Let go!" he sputtered furiously. "Give me your hand instead!"
He evidently forgot that the seaman, who held on, was not an Englishman,and next moment he was hove high above the water. Then there was aripping and tearing, and while the seaman reeled back with a long stripof alpaca in his hand, Austin splashed into the water. He came up intime to see Macallister smiling in Jacinta's direction reassuringly.
"There's no need to be afraid," he said. "Though I'm no sure he's worthit, I'll save him for ye."
Now, Jacinta was usually quite capable of making any man who offendedher feel sorry for himself, but the sight of Austin's savage red face ashe gazed at Macallister, with the torn jacket flapping about him in thewater and the barley-straw sticking all over him, was too much for her,and she broke into a peal of laughter.
In another moment Macallister contrived to get his boat hook into theslack of Austin's garments, and when two seamen seized the haft theyhove him out, wrong side uppermost, and incoherent with wrath. When theydropped him, a tattered, dripping heap, on the deck, Miss Gascoyneleaned her face upon her hands, and laughed almost hysterically, untilJacinta touched her shoulder.
"Mr. Austin evidently believes he has a good deal to thank his comradefor. I think you had better come away," she said.
Austin put himself to some trouble in endeavouring to make Macallisterunderstand what he thought of him, when they had gone, but the engineeronly grinned.
"Well," he said, "I'll forgive ye. If I had looked like ye do with twoladies watching me, I might have been a bit short in temper myself, butcome away to your room. The _Andalusia_'s boat came across a while ago,and there's business waiting ye."
Austin went with him, but stopped a moment when he approached his room.The door was open, as usual, and a stranger, in grey tourist tweed, uponwhom Englishman and clergyman was stamped unmistakably, sat inside theroom. Austin felt that he knew who the man must be.
"Does he know Miss Gascoyne is on board?" he asked.
"No," said Macallister. "The boat came round under our quarter, and welanded him through the lower gangway. He said he'd stay here and waitfor ye. He's no sociable, anyway. I've offered him cigars and anisow,besides some of my special whisky, but he did not seem willing to talkto me."
Austin fancied he could understand it. Macallister, who had discardedhis jacket, was very grimy, and his unbuttoned uniform vest failed toconceal the grease stains on his shirt. Then he remembered that his ownjacket was torn to rags, and he was very wet; but Macallister raised hisvoice:
"Here's Mr. Austin, sir," he said.
The clergyman, who said nothing, gazed at him, and Austin, who realisedthat his appearance was against him, understood his astonishment. Healso fancied that the stranger was one with whom appearances usuallycounted a good deal.
"If you will wait a minute or two while I change my clothes, I will beat your service, sir," he said. "As you may observe, I have been in thesea."
"Swum off to the steamer," said Macallister, with a wicked smile. "Itsaves washing. He comes off yon way now and then."
Austin said nothing, but stepped into the room, and, gathering up anarmful of clothing, departed, leaving a pool of water behind him. Theclergyman, it was evident, did not know what to make of either of them.A few minutes later Austin, who came back and closed the door, sat downopposite him.
"My name is Gascoyne," said the stranger, handing him an open note."Mr. Brown of Las Palmas, who gave me this introduction, assured me thatI could speak to you confidentially, and that you would be able to tellme where my daughter and Mrs. Hatherly are s
taying."
Austin glanced at him with misgivings. He was a little man, with paleblue eyes, and hair just streaked with grey. His face was white andfleshy, without animation or any suggestion of ability in it, but therehad been something in the tone which seemed to indicate that he had, atleast, been accustomed to petty authority. Austin at once set him downas a man of essentially conventional views, who was deferred to in someremote English parish; in fact, just the man he would have expectedMuriel Gascoyne's father to be; that is, before she had revealed herinner self. It was a type he was by no means fond of, and he was quiteaware that circumstances were scarcely likely to prepossess a man ofthat description in his favour. Still, Austin was a friend ofJefferson's, and meant to do what he could for him.
"I know where Miss Gascoyne is, but you suggested that you had somethingto ask me, and I shall be busy by and by," he said.
Gascoyne appeared anxious, but evidently very uncertain whether it wouldbe advisable to take him into his confidence.
"I understand that you are a friend of Mr. Jefferson's?" he said.
"I am. I may add that I am glad to admit it, and I almost fancy I knowwhat you mean to ask me."
Gascoyne, who appeared grateful for this lead, looked at him steadily."Perhaps I had better be quite frank. Indeed, Mr. Brown, who informed methat you could tell more about Jefferson than any one in the islands,recommended it," he said. "I am, Mr. Austin, a clergyman who has neverbeen outside his own country before, and I think it is advisable that Ishould tell you this, because there may be points upon which our viewswill not coincide. It was not easy for me to get away now, but thefuture of my motherless daughter is a matter of the greatest concern tome, and I understand that Mr. Jefferson is in Africa. I want you to tellme candidly--as a gentleman--what kind of man he is."
Austin felt a little better disposed towards Gascoyne after this. Hisanxiety concerning his daughter was evident, and he had, at least, notadopted quite the attitude Austin had expected. But as Austin was not byany means brilliant himself, he felt the difficulty of making Gascoyneunderstand the character of such a man as Jefferson, while his task wascomplicated by the fact that he recognised his responsibility to both ofthem. Gascoyne had put him on his honour, and he could not paintJefferson as he was not. In the meanwhile he greatly wished to think.
"I wonder if I might offer you a glass of wine, sir, or perhaps yousmoke?" he said.
"No, thanks," said Gascoyne, with uncompromising decision. "I am awarethat many of my brethren indulge in these luxuries. I do not."
"Well," said Austin, "if you will tell me what you have already heardabout Jefferson it might make the way a little plainer."
"I have been told that he is an American seafarer, it seems of the usualcareless type. Seafarers are, perhaps, liable to special temptations,and it is generally understood that the lives most of them lead are notaltogether----"
Austin smiled a little when Gascoyne stopped abruptly. "I'm afraid thatmust be admitted, sir. I can, however, assure you that Jefferson is anabstemious man--Americans are, as a rule, you see--and, though there areoccasions when his conversation might not commend itself to you, he hashad an excellent education. Since we are to be perfectly candid, has itever occurred to you that it was scarcely likely a dissolute sailorwould meet with Miss Gascoyne's approbation?"
Gascoyne flushed a trifle. "It did not--though, of course, it shouldhave. Still, he told her that he was mate of the _Sachem_, which was apainful shock to me. I, of course, remember the revolting story."
He stopped a moment, and his voice was a trifle strained when he went onagain. "I left England, Mr. Austin, within three days of getting mydaughter's letter, and have ever since been in a state of distressinguncertainty. Mr. Jefferson is in Africa--I cannot even write him. I donot know where my duty lies."
Had the man's intense anxiety been less evident, Austin would have beenalmost amused. The Reverend Gascoyne appeared to believe that hisaffairs were of paramount importance to everybody, as, perhaps, theywere in the little rural parish he came from; but there was something inhis somewhat egotistical simplicity that appealed to the younger man.
"One has to face unpleasant facts now and then, sir," he said. "Thereare times when homicide is warranted at sea, and man's primitivepassions are very apt to show themselves naked in the face of imminentperil. It is in one respect unfortunate that you have probably neverseen anything of the kind, but one could not expect too much from a manwhose comrade's head had just been shorn open by a drink-frenziedmutineer. Can you imagine the little handful of officers, driven aftaway from the boats while the ship settled under them, standing still tobe cut down with adze and axe? You must remember, too, that they wereseafarers and Americans who had few of the advantages you and yourfriends enjoy in England."
He could not help the last piece of irony, but Gascoyne, who did notseem to notice it, groaned.
"To think of a man who appears to hold my daughter's confidence beingconcerned in such an affair at all is horribly unpleasant to me."
"I have no doubt it was almost as distressing to Jefferson at the time.Still, as you have probably never gone in fear of your life for weekstogether, you may not be capable of understanding what he felt, and wehad perhaps better get on a little further."
Gascoyne seemed to pull himself together. "Mr. Jefferson has, Iunderstand, no means beyond a certain legacy. It is not, after all, alarge one."
"If he is alive in six months I feel almost sure he will have twice asmuch, which would mean an income of close upon AL600 a year from soundEnglish stock, and that, one would fancy, would not be considered abjectpoverty in a good many English rural parishes."
Gascoyne sighed. "That is true--it is certainly true. You said--if hewere alive?"
"As he is now on his way to one of the most deadly belts of swamp andjungle in Western Africa, I think I was warranted. Knowing him as I do,it is, I fancy, certain that if he does not come back with AL16,000 insix months he will be dead."
"Ah," said Gascoyne, with what was suspiciously like a sigh of relief."One understands that it is a particularly unhealthy climate. Still,when one considers that all is arranged for the best----"
Austin, who could not help it, smiled sardonically, though he felt hehad an almost hopeless task. It appeared impossible that Gascoyne shouldever understand the character of a man like Jefferson. But he meant todo what he could.
"It is naturally easier to believe that when circumstances coincide withour wishes, sir," he said. "Now, I do not exactly charge you withwishing Jefferson dead, though your face shows that you would not besorry. I am, of course, another careless seafarer, a friend of his, andI can understand that what you have seen of me has not prepossessed youin my favour. Still, if I can, I am going to show you Jefferson as heis. To begin with, he believes, as you do, that Miss Gascoyne is farabove him--and in this he is altogether wrong. Miss Gascoyne isdoubtless a good woman, but Jefferson is that harder thing to be, a goodman. His point of view is not yours, it is, perhaps, a wider one; but hehas, what concerns you most directly now, a vague, reverential respectfor all that is best in womanhood, which, I think, is sufficient toplace Miss Gascoyne under a heavy responsibility."
He stopped a moment, looking steadily at Gascoyne, who appeared blanklyastonished.
"Because it was evident to him that a woman of Miss Gascoyne'sconventional upbringing must suffer if brought into contact with theunpleasant realities of the outside world, he has staked his lifewillingly--not recklessly--on the winning of enough to place herbeyond the reach of adversity. He realised that it was, at least, evenchances he never came back from Africa; but it seemed to him betterthat she should be proud of him dead than have to pity him and herselfliving. I know this, because he told me he would never drag the womanwho loved him down. He fell in love with her without reflection,instinctively--or, perhaps, because it was arranged so--I do notunderstand these things. As surely--conventionalities don't alwayscount--she fell in love with him, and then he had to grapple with theposit
ion. Your daughter could not live, as some women do, unshockedand cheerfully among rude and primitive peoples whose morality is notyour morality, in the wilder regions of the earth. It was also evidentthat she could not live sumptuously in England on the interest ofAL8,000. You see what he made of it. If he died, Miss Gascoyne would befree. If he lived, she could avoid all that would be unpleasant. Isn'tthat sufficient? Could there be anything base or mean in a naturecapable of devotion of that description?"
Gascoyne sat silent almost a minute. Then he said very quietly: "I haveto thank you, Mr. Austin--the more so because I admit I was a littleprejudiced against you. Perhaps men living as I do acquire too narrow aview. I am glad you told me. And now where is my daughter and Mrs.Hatherly?"
"Wait another minute! Jefferson is, as you will recognise, a man ofexceptional courage, but he is also a man of excellent education, and,so far as that goes, of attractive presence; such a one, in fact, as Ithink a girl of Miss Gascoyne's station is by no means certain to comeacross again in England. Now, if I have said anything to offend you, ithas not been with that object, and you will excuse it. Your daughter andMrs. Hatherly are on board this ship. It seemed better that you shouldhear me out before I told you."
"Ah," said Gascoyne. "Well, I think you were right, and again I am muchobliged to you. Will you take me to Mrs. Hatherly?"
Austin did so, and coming back flung himself down on the settee inMacallister's room.
"Give me a drink--a long one. I don't know that I ever talked so much atonce in my life, and I only hope I didn't make a consummate ass ofmyself," he said.
"It's no that difficult," said Macallister, reflectively, as he took outa syphon and a bottle of wine. "Ye made excuses for yourself andJefferson?"
Austin laughed. "No," he said. "I made none for Jefferson. I think Irubbed a few not particularly pleasant impressions into the other man. Ifelt I had to. It was, of course, a piece of abominable presumption."
Macallister leaned against the bulkhead and regarded him with a sardonicgrin.
"I would have liked to have heard ye," he said.