"It makes me very happy to accept your apology, monsieur." Gravely Lanyard watched the face of the surgeon burn a deeper red. "And on my part I am truly sorry to think I have put too great a strain upon your charity. Yet--you must let me assure you again--what I am telling you is the simple truth about conditions which I find profoundly disconcerting. I am afraid I shall need time to get my bearings, and I would be vastly grateful for assistance."
"By all means," the other said in a stifled voice--"'m sure."
"It would help measurably to know what vessel this is . . ."
"Right: you took it for Nassau, Havana, Kingston, the Canal Zone, and Costa Rica."
"I think you said we were three days out? Then we ought to be not far from Nassau now."
"This gale has held us back a bit, but we ought to make port by daybreak tomorrow."
"One can send a cable there, of course . . ."
Either a mistrustful mind deceived Lanyard or the Englishman wasn't happy in his efforts to disguise a thrill of keen inquisitiveness.
"Of course; but why wait? Mean to say, there's our wireless at your service if you're keen to get some message off your mind, Mr. Duchemin."
"How stupid of me to forget." Lanyard's smile could be as charming as he chose, and he chose it to be entirely so just then, intent as he was on disarming one whom he had reason enough to think curiously hostile to him, in whose manner it was impossible to ignore an undercurrent of inexplicable animus. "But then you will be indulgent, remembering the circumstances. One question more, Doctor--?"
"Thank you. I am wondering . . . No doubt you saw me when or soon after I embarked?"
"Happened to be standin' by the head of the gang-plank when you came aboard, in point of fact."
"If you could tell me whether that event was marked by any unusual circumstances, such as might possibly shed light upon the riddle of why I came aboard at all--?"
"Sorry," the surgeon answered; "but you seemed to be quite peaceable."
"Nothing to lead you to suspect I wasn't in full command of my faculties?"
"And my subsequent behaviour has been, I trust, discreet?"
"To the letter of the word. If you mean your smokin'-room habits, they've been above reproach--more than one can say of most Americans since the 'greatest country on God's green footstool' dried up."