“Hush, don’t be frightened,” I said, “it’s I, Carruthers, and Davies—and Davies. May we come in, just for one moment?”
I gently widened the opening of the door, while she stepped back and put one hand to her throat.
“Please come to your father,” I said. “We are going to take you both to England in the _Dulcibella_—now, at once.”
She had heard me, but her eyes wandered to Davies.
“I understand not,” she faltered, trembling and cowering in such touching bewilderment that I could not bear to look at her.
“For God’s sake, say something, Davies,” I muttered.
“Clara!” said Davies, “will you not trust us?”
I heard a little gasp from her. There was a flutter of lace and cambric and she was in his arms, sobbing like a tired child, her little white feet between his great clumsy sea-boots—her rose-brown cheek on his rough jersey.
“It’s past four, old chap,” I remarked, brutally. “I’m going down to him again. No packing to speak of, mind. They must be out of this in half an hour.” I stumbled awkwardly on the stairs (again that tiresome film!) and found him stuffing some papers pell-mell into the stove. There were only slumbering embers in it, but he did not seem to notice that. “You must be dressed in half an hour,” I said, furtively pocketing a pistol which lay on the table.
“Have you told her? Take her to England, you two boys. I think I’ll stay.” He sank into a chair again.
“Nonsense, she won’t go without you. You must, for her sake—in half an hour, too.”
I prefer to pass that half-hour lightly over. Davies left before me to prepare the yacht for sea, and I had to bear the brunt of what followed, including (as a mere episode) a scene with the step-mother, the memory of which rankles in me yet. After all, she was a sensible woman.
As for the other two, the girl when I saw her next, in her short boating skirt and tam-o’-shanter, was a miracle of coolness and pluck. But for her I should never have got him away. And ah! how good it was to be out in the wholesome rain again, hurrying to the harbour with my two charges, hurrying them down the greasy ladder to that frail atom of English soil, their first guerdon of home and safety.
Our flight from the harbour was unmolested, unnoticed. Only the first ghastly evidences of dawn were mingling with the strangled moonlight, as we tacked round the pier-head and headed close-reefed down the Riff Gat on the lees of the ebb-tide. We had to pass under the very quarter of the _Blitz_, so Davies said; for, of course, he alone was on deck till we reached the open sea. Day was breaking then. It was dead low water, and, far away to the south, between dun swathes of sand, I thought I saw—but probably it was only a fancy—two black stranded specks. Rail awash, and decks streaming, we took the outer swell and clawed close-hauled under the lee of Juist, westward, hurrying westward.