The Essential Edgar Wallace Collection. Edgar Wallace

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ put your service on another level," she corrected. "I owe everything I have to you. My fortune is the least of these. I owe you my life three times over."

      "Four," he corrected, "and to Marcus Stepney once."

      "Why have you done so much for me? Were you interested?" she asked after a pause.

      "Very," he replied. "I was interested in you from the moment I saw you step out of Mr. Mordon's taxi into the mud, but I was especially interested in you----"

      "When?" she asked.

      "When I sat outside your door night after night and discovered you didn't snore," he said shamelessly, and she went red.

      "I hope you'll never refer to your old Jaggs's adventures. It was very----"

      "What?"

      "I was going to say horrid, but I shouldn't be telling the truth," she admitted frankly. "I liked having you there. Poor Mrs. Morgan will be disconsolate when she discovers that we've lost our lodger."

      They walked into the cool of the ancient cathedral and sat down.

      "There's something very soothing about a church, isn't there?" he whispered. "Look at that gorgeous window. If I were ever rich enough to marry the woman I loved, I should be married in a cathedral like this, full of old tombs and statues and stained glass."

      "How rich would you have to be?" she asked.

      "As rich as she is."

      She bent over toward him, her lips against his ear.

      "Tell me how much money you have," she whispered, "and I'll give away all I have in excess of that amount."

      He caught her hand and held it fast, and they sat there before the altar of St. Catherine until the sun went down and the disapproving old woman who acted as the cathedral's caretaker tapped them on the shoulder.

      Chapter XLI

      "That is Gibraltar," said Marcus Stepney, pointing ahead to a grey shape that loomed up from the sea.

      He was unshaven for he had forgotten to bring his razor and he was pinched with the cold. His overcoat was turned up to his ears, in spite of which he shivered.

      Jean did not seem to be affected by the sudden change of temperature. She sat on the top of the cabin, her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow on her crossed knee.

      "You are not going into Gibraltar?" she asked.

      He shook his head.

      "I think not," he said, "nor to Algeciras. Did you see that fellow on the quay yelling for the craft to come back after we left Malaga? That was a bad sign. I expect the police have instructions to detain this boat, and most of the ports must have been notified."

      "How long can we run?"

      "We've got enough gas and grub to reach Dacca," he said. "That's roughly an eight-days' journey."

      "On the African coast?"

      He nodded, although she could not see him.

      "Where could we get a ship to take us to South America?" she asked, turning round.

      "Lisbon," he said thoughtfully. "Yes, we could reach Lisbon, but there are too many steamers about and we're certain to be sighted. We might run across to Las Palmas, most of the South American boats call there, but if I were you I should stick to Europe. Come and take this helm, Jean."

      She obeyed without question, and he continued the work which had been interrupted by a late meal, the painting of the boat's hull, a difficult business, involving acrobatics, since it was necessary for him to lean over the side. He had bought the grey paint at Malaga, and happily there was not much surface that required attention. The stumpy mast of the _Jungle Queen_ had already gone overboard--he had sawn it off with great labour the day after they had left Cap Martin.

      She watched him with a speculative eye as he worked, and thought he had never looked quite so unattractive as he did with an eight-days' growth of beard, his shirt stained with paint and petrol. His hands were grimy and nobody would have recognised in this scarecrow the elegant habitu of those fashionable resorts which smart society frequents.

      Yet she had reason to be grateful to him. His conduct toward her had been irreproachable. Not one word of love had been spoken, nor, until now, had their future plans, for it affected them both, been discussed.

      "Suppose we reach South America safely?" she asked. "What happens then, Marcus?"

      He looked round from his work in surprise.

      "We'll get married," he said quietly, and she laughed.

      "And what happens to the present Mrs. Stepney?"

      "She has divorced me," said Stepney unexpectedly. "I got the papers the day we left."

      "I see," said Jean softly. "We'll get married----" then stopped.

      He looked at her and frowned.

      "Isn't that your idea, too?" he asked.

      "Married? Yes, that's my idea, too. It seems a queer uninteresting way of finishing things, doesn't it, and yet I suppose it isn't."

      He had resumed his work and was leaning far over the bow intent upon his labour. Suddenly she spun the wheel round and the launch heeled over to starboard. For a second it seemed that Marcus Stepney could not maintain his balance against that unexpected impetus, but by a superhuman effort he kicked himself back to safety, and stared at her with a blanched face.

      "Why did you do that?" he asked hoarsely. "You nearly had me overboard."

      "There was a porpoise lying on the surface of the sea, asleep, I think," she said quietly. "I'm very sorry, Marcus, but I didn't know that it would throw you off your balance."

      He looked round for the sleeping fish but it had disappeared.

      "You told me to avoid them, you know," she said apologetically. "Did I really put you in any danger?"

      He licked his dry lips, picked up the paint-pot, and threw it into the sea.

      "We'll leave this," he said, "until we are beached. You gave me a scare, Jean."

      "I'm dreadfully sorry. Come here, and sit by me."

      She moved to allow him room, and he sat down by her, taking the wheel from her hand.

      On the horizon the high lands of northern Africa were showing their saw-edge outlines.

      "That is Morocco," he pointed out to her. "I propose giving Gibraltar a wide berth, and following the coast line to Tangier."

      "Tangier СКАЧАТЬ