Under a small tope of trees she stopped, and placing her hand on my arm, said in answer to a speech of mine--
"You are quite right. I fear this _is_ the end of everything for us. When we leave Batavia our ways must lie in different directions."
"You mean," I continued, "because you believe your husband to be still alive?"
"Yes," she finally answered. But there was something in her voice that made me believe that though she gave it that reason, it was not exactly what was in her mind.
"Endeavour to find that man, and repay him for his treachery. That's what I shall do."
Simple as were her words, I cannot express on paper anything like the ferocity of the tone in which they were uttered. But this mood only lasted a few seconds. Then came the old wail.
"Oh, Jack, Jack! if you only knew; if we could but be our true selves for one little moment!"
"Never mind, you will know soon enough, and, oh, how you will hate me for it! But now,--oh, I cannot, Jack,--I cannot!"
Here she fell to crying, just as she had done on the schooner. It was an exact repetition of her strange behaviour on that eventful night. I did my best to comfort her, and after a long while succeeded. She dried her tears, and we set off upon our homeward walk. Not satisfied with what she had told me, I determined to renew the subject on the morrow.
But the morrow had something of its own in store for me, of which I could not have even the vaguest idea.
When we returned to the hotel, the Albino was smoking in the verandah. After a few commonplaces about the beauty of the night, I went into my room to procure a cigar, leaving Juanita alone with him. As soon as I had obtained a weed and lit it I rejoined them. Through no fault of mine they did not perceive me until I was close upon them. Macklin held a paper in his hand, from which I presumed he had just been reading. Juanita was evidently much put out about something.
"No, no, it's too cruel," she said, "I cannot do it."
"I tell you, you must. It's all arranged, so don't let me hear any more nonsense about it."
When I coughed to warn them of my presence, both seemed considerably disturbed, though the Albino passed it off with his customary ease.
After they retired to their rooms, I remained in the verandah smoking. Suddenly my eye caught sight of something white upon the ground. Picking it up, I discovered it to be a cablegram from London. It was addressed to Macklin, and ran as follows:--