CHAPTER VII
BARBARA'S REFUSAL
In the morning Barbara went to the Catalina mole. The short lava pierwas not far off, and one got the breeze, although the hotel garden washot. Besides, she did not want to meet people and talk about the strangedisturbance on the veranda. On the whole, she thought nobody imaginedshe could satisfy the general curiosity. Finding a block of lava in theshade, she sat down and looked about.
A boat crossed the harbor mouth, swinging up on the smooth swell andvanishing when the undulations rolled by. A tug towed a row of barges toan anchored steamer, and the rattle of winches came down the wind. Inthe background, clouds of dust blew about the coaling wharfs, and astring of flags fluttered from the staff on the Isleta hill. Barbarabeckoned a port-guard and inquired what the signal meant.
The Spaniard said an African mail-boat from England was coming in, andBarbara was conscious of some relief. Cartwright was on board and wouldarrive sooner than she had thought; the boat had obviously not called atMadeira, the time-bills stated. Cartwright would know how to deal withShillito if he bothered her again. In the meantime she mused aboutLister. She had thrilled when he ran up the steps at the hotel, but, ina sense, his arrival just then was awkward.
She turned her head, for the sunshine on the water dazzled her eyes, andthe port was not attractive. The limekilns, coal-wharfs, and shabby lavahouses had for a background volcanic rocks, bare cinder slopes andtossing dust. Besides, she wanted to think. She would see Lister soon;she wanted to see him, but she shrank. For one thing, the line she oughtto take was hard.
By and by she heard a rattle of oars thrown on board a boat behind theneighboring wall; somebody shouted, and Lister came up. His whiteclothes were clean but crumpled, and Barbara smiled when she saw his hatwas new. Crossing the lava pavement, he stopped opposite her and shenoted a piece of sticking-plaster on his cheek.
"May I join you for a few minutes?" he asked.
"Of course," she said graciously.
Lister sat down. The sailors had gone off, and except for an officer ofthe _Commandancia_, nobody was about.
"I was going to the hotel to look for you. For one thing, I reckoned Iought to apologize. When I came into the veranda and saw Shillito--"
"I think you stopped for a moment at the bottom of the steps!" Barbararemarked.
He colored, but gave her a steady look. "That is so. I admit the thing'sridiculous; but at first I felt I'd better pull out. Then I notedsomething about your pose; you looked angry."
"Ah," said Barbara. "It was a relief to see I was angry? You weresatisfied then?"
"I was really satisfied before. It was impossible you should engage abrute like that in friendly talk. Anyhow, I took the wrong line andmight have made things awkward. In fact, the situation needed a lightertouch than mine. All the same, when I saw the fellow was bullying you--"
"You butted in?" Barbara suggested, smiling, although her heart beat.
"Like a bull moose," said Lister with a frown. "I ought to have keptcool, used caution, and frozen him off by a few short arguments. You canpicture Cartwright's putting across the job! After all, however, I don'tknow the arguments I could have used, and I remembered how the fellowhad injured you--"
He saw Barbara's color rise, and stopped for a moment. It looked as ifhe had not used much caution now.
"Since I thought you in Africa, I don't understand how you arrived," shebegan.
"The thing's not very strange," said Lister. "I saw your name in avisitors' list and meant to ask for you in the morning. Then I ran upagainst Shillito, who didn't know me, and when he got on board the steamtram, I hired a _tartana_. Thought he might mean trouble and I'd bettercome along--"
"Well," he resumed, "I'm sorry I handled the job clumsily, since I mighthave hurt you worse; but I hated the fellow on my own account and sawred. Perhaps it was lucky I was able to throw him down the steps,because I expect neither of us meant to quit until the other was knockedout." He paused and added, with a laugh: "Now I'm cool, I think thechances were I got knocked out. Last time we met he threw me off thecar; I reckon my luck has turned!"
Barbara studied him and was moved by pity and some other emotions. Hewas very thin and his face was pinched. He looked as if he wereexhausted by the work she had sent him to do. Barbara admitted that shehad sent him. Before Cartwright planned the salvage undertaking she haddeclared he would find Lister the man for an awkward job.
"You ran some risk for my sake, and I must acknowledge a fresh debt,"she said. "I would sooner be your debtor than another's, but sometimesI'm embarrassed. You see, I owe you so much."
"You have paid all by letting me know you," Lister declared.
She was quiet for a few moments, and then asked: "Are you making muchprogress at the wreck?"
"Our progress is slow, but we are getting there," Lister replied, andseeing her interest, narrated his and Brown's struggles, and his longvoyage with a short crew on board the tug.
The story was moving and Barbara's eyes sparkled. Lister had borne muchand done all that flesh and blood could do. He was the man she hadthought, and she knew it was for her sake that he had labored.
"It's a splendid fight!" she said.
"We haven't won yet," he replied, and was quiet for a few moments. Thenhis look got very resolute and he went on: "All the same, if the thingis anyhow possible, I'm going to win. You see, I've got to win! WhenCartwright engaged me I was engineer on board a cattle boat; a man of noimportance, without friends or money, and with no particular chance ofmaking good. Now I've got my chance. If we put across the job a bigsalvage company turned down, I'll make my mark. Somebody will give me agood post; I'll have got my foot on the ladder that leads to the top."
"I wish you luck," said Barbara. "I expect you will get near the top."
"If you are willing, you can help."
"Ah," said Barbara, with forced quietness, "I think not--"
He stopped her. "I didn't expect to find you willing. My business is topersuade you, and I mean to try. Well, I wasn't boasting, and mydrawbacks are plain, but if I make good in Africa, some will be cut outand you can help me remove the others. I've long wanted you, and now myluck's turning. I was going to Catalina to tell you so. If Brown and Ifloat _Arcturus_, will you marry me?"
Barbara's color came and went, but she said quietly: "When you came tothe hotel in the evening you met Shillito!"
"I did," said Lister, with incautious passion. "If I had killed thebrute I'd have been justified! However, I threw him on to the aloe tuband ran off. The thing was grotesquely humorous. A boy's fool trick!"
"You ran off for my sake," said Barbara. "I liked you for it. I like youfor many things, but I will not marry you."
He saw she was resolute. Her mouth was firm and her hand was tightlyclosed. He thought he knew the grounds for her refusal, and his heartsank. Barbara was stubborn and very proud. Moreover, the situation wasawkward, but the awkwardness must be fronted.
"Let's be frank; perhaps you owe me this," he urged. "Since you allowyou do like me, what's to stop our marrying?"
"For one thing, my adventure in Canada," she replied and turned herhead.
Lister put his hand on her arm and forced her to look up. "Now you'reclean ridiculous! Shillito cheated you; he's a plausible wastrel, butyou found him out. It doesn't count at all! Besides, nobody but yourrelations know."
"You know," said Barbara, and, getting up started along the mole.
Lister tried to brace himself, for he saw she could not be moved. Yetthere was something to be said.
"You are the girl I mean to marry," he declared. "Some day, perhaps,you'll see you're indulging a blamed extravagant illusion and I'm goingto wait. When you're logical I'll try again."
Barbara forced a smile. "Sometimes I am logical; I feel I'm logical now.But I have left my mother alone rather long and you must let me go."
Lister went with her to the road and got on a tram going to the town. Hewas hurt and angry, but not altogether daunted. Barbara'
s ridiculouspride might break and she was worth waiting for. When he returned onboard, a small African liner had anchored not far off, and while hewatched the boats that swarmed about the ship, one left the others andcame towards the tug. The Spanish crew were pulling hard and a passengeroccupied the stern. Learmont, lounging near, turned his glasses on theboat.
"I'm not sorry you are boss," he said. "The Old Man is coming!"
A few minutes afterwards Cartwright got over the tug's rail. His facewas red, and he looked very stern.
"Why have you left the wreck?" he asked Lister.
"I came for some castings I couldn't get at Sierra Leone. The pump andengine needed mending."
"Then where's Brown?"
"He's busy at the lagoon, sir. There's enough to keep him occupied,unless the pump plays out before I get back."
Cartwright looked relieved, but asked meaningly: "Did you know Mrs.Cartwright and Miss Hyslop were at Las Palmas?"
"I did not know until yesterday evening, twenty-four hours after Iarrived; but we'll talk about this again. I expect you want to know howwe are getting on at the wreck?"
Cartwright nodded. "I think my curiosity is natural! Let's get out ofthe sun, and if you have liquor on board, order me a drink. When themail-boat steamed round the mole and I saw _Terrier_, I got a nastyjolt."
Lister took him to the captain's room and gave him some sour red Canarywine. Cartwright drained his glass and looked up with an ironical smile.
"If you use stuff like this. Brown ought not to be tempted much!However, you can tell me what you have done at the lagoon, and thedifficulties you have met. You needn't bother to smooth down Brown'sextravagances, I knew the captain before I knew you."
Lister told his story, and when he stopped Cartwright filled his glass,raised it to his lips and put it back with a frown.
"Send somebody along the mole to Garcia's shop for two or three bottlesof his Amontillado and white Muscatel. Charge the stuff to ship'svictualing. When you got Brown out of the factory, did you think itpossible he had a private stock of liquor?"
"I'm satisfied he had not. Montgomery gave him the liquor, and I imaginemeant to give him too, much."
"It looks like that," Cartwright agreed. "If we take something I suspectfor granted, Montgomery's opposition would be logical. I imagine youknow part of the cargo was worth much? Expensive stuff in small bulk,you see!"
"I have studied the cargo-lists and plans of the holds, sir."
Cartwright nodded. "We'll find out presently if my notion how the boatwas lost is accurate," The cargo's another thing. There may have beenconspiracy between merchant and ship-owner; I don't know yet, but if itwas conspiracy, this would account for much. Some of the gum shipped wasvery costly, and African alluvial gold, washed by the negroes, has beenfound mixed with brass filings."
"Montgomery frankly stated his father loaded the vessel."
"His frankness may have been calculated," Cartwright rejoined andknitted his brows. "Yet I'll admit the young fellow's name is good atLiverpool, and all he sells is up to sample. His father was anothersort, but he died, and the house is now well run. However, in themeantime we'll let it go."
He looked up, for a fireman, carrying a basket, came in. Cartwright tookthe basket and opened a bottle of white wine.
"Take some of this," he said. "I understand you have seen Mrs.Cartwright?"
"Not yet, sir," said Lister, quietly. "I met Miss Hyslop soon beforeyour boat arrived. Perhaps I ought to tell you I asked her if she wouldmarry me if we floated the wreck."
"Ah!" said Cartwright. "But why did you add the stipulation?"
"It ought to be obvious. If we put the undertaking over, I expect to geta post that will enable me to support a wife, although she might beforced to go without things I'd like to give her."
"I see!" said Cartwright, with some dryness. "Well, I don't know ifBarbara is extravagant, but she has not used much economy. Was shewilling to take the plunge?"
"She was not, sir."
"Then I suppose she stated her grounds for refusing?"
"That is so," said Lister. "Perhaps Miss Hyslop will tell you what theyare. I will not."
Cartwright looked at him hard. "All the same, I imagine you did notagree?"
"I did not agree. If I make good at the wreck, I will try again."
"Barbara is pretty obstinate," Cartwright remarked with a smile, andthen filled Lister's glass. "I must go; but come to the hotel in themorning. We must talk about the salvage plans."
He went off, but when the boat crossed the harbor he looked back at thetug with twinkling eyes. Lister was honest and had not asked Barbara tomarry him until he saw some chance of his supporting a wife. SinceBarbara was rich, the thing was amusing. All the same, it was possiblethe young fellow must wait. Barbara exaggerated and indulged herimagination, but she was firm.