The Lust of Hate, Guy Newell Boothby [essential books to read .txt] 📗

all.”

 

“At any rate, let us try the effect of a few sips of this,” I

said, as I took the flask from my pocket. “Even if it does no good,

it cannot possibly do any harm.”

 

I knelt beside her, and having opened the little child’s mouth,

poured into it a few drops of the precious spirit. We then set to

work and chafed her hands as briskly as possible, and in a few

minutes were rewarded by seeing the mite open her eyes and look about

her.

 

“Thank God,” said Miss Maybourne, devoutly. “Oh, Esther darling,

do you know me? Do you remember Aggie?”

 

To show that she understood what was said to her, the little one

extended her hand and placed it in that of her friend. The action was

so full of trust and confidence that it brought the tears to my

eyes.

 

“How do you feel now, darling?” asked her friend, as she lifted

the little sufferer into a more comfortable position.

 

“A pain here,” faltered Esther, placing her hand on the side of

her head. Then looking round the cave as if in search of someone, she

said, “Miss Maybourne, where is mother?”

 

At this point my pluck forsook me altogether, and seizing the fish

for which I had come, I dashed from the cave without waiting to hear

what answer the brave girl would give her. When she joined me, ten

minutes later, large tears were running down her cheeks. She made no

attempt to hide them from me, but came across to where I knelt by the

fire, and said, in a choking voice:

 

“I have been preparing that poor child for the sad news she must

soon hear, and I cannot tell you how miserable it has made me. Do you

really think in your own heart that we are the only people who

escaped from that ill-fated vessel? Isn’t it just possible that some

other boat may have been lowered, and that the child’s mother may be

among those who got away in her? Tell me exactly what you think,

without hiding anything from me, I implore you.”

 

“Of course it may be just possible, as you say, that a boat

did get away; but I must confess that I think it is most,

unlikely. Had such a thing occurred, we should have been almost

certain to have seen her, and in that case we should have been able

to attract her attention, and she would have picked us up. No, Miss

Maybourne. I wish I could comfort you with such an assurance; but I

fear it would be cruel to buoy you up with any false hopes, only to

have them more cruelly shattered later on. I’m afraid we must

accustom ourselves to the awful thought that the Fiji Princess

and all her company, with the exception of ourselves, have met a

watery grave. Why I should have been saved when so many worthier

people perished I cannot imagine.”

 

“To save us, Mr. Wrexford,” she answered. “Think what you are

saying, and remember that but for you we should not be here now.”

 

“I thank God, then, for the opportunity He gave me,” I answered;

and what I said I meant from the very bottom of my heart.

 

Whatever she may have thought of my speech, she vouchsafed no

reply to it; but on looking up a moment later, I discovered that her

face was suffused with a beautiful blush that was more eloquent than

any words. After that I turned my attention to the meal which I was

preparing, and gave her time to recover herself a little.

 

Having no pot in which to cook the fish, I had to use the largest

of the shells I had discovered. These did not prove altogether a good

substitute, but as they were all I had got, I had to make the best of

them or go without.

 

When the mussels were sufficiently done, I lifted them off the

fire and invited my companion to taste the dish. She did so, and the

grimace which followed told me that she was not overpleased at the

result. I followed her example, and felt obliged to confess that they

made but poor fare to support life upon.

 

“If we cannot get something better, I don’t know what we shall

do,” she cried. “These things are too horrible.”

 

“Perhaps I may be able to hit upon a way of catching some fish,” I

said; “or it is just possible I may be able to get a trap and catch

some birds. There is no knowing what I may not be able to do with a

little practice. In the meantime, you must endeavour to swallow as

much of this mess as possible, and try to get the little one in the

cave there to do the same.”

 

Putting some of the fish into another shell, I gave it to

her, and she carried it off to her sick friend. After I had scraped

and washed it carefully, I filled a larger shell with pure water from

the pool and gave it to them to drink. When they had finished their

meal—and it was not much that they ate—I called Miss Maybourne

outside and informed her that I was going to build up a large fire,

after which I should set off on a tramp round the island to see if I

could discover anything better to eat. While I was away, I advised

her to dry her own and the child’s things by the blaze, for though we

had been some time under the influence of the hot sun, still our

garments could not be said to be anything like dry. She promised to

do as I wished, and when I had piled what remained of my heap of fuel

upon the fire I made my way down to the shore, and then set off for a

tramp round the island.

 

My first call was at the group of rocks from which I had gathered

the shellfish of which my companion had so strongly disapproved. I

wanted to see if I could discover a place where it would be possible

for me to construct some sort of a trap for fish. But though I

searched diligently, nothing suitable could I find. At last I had to

give it up in despair, and set ray brain to work on another plan for

stocking my larder. That fish were plentiful I could see by looking

over the edges of the rocks, but how I was to capture them was by no

means so plain. I think at that moment I would have given a year of

my life for the worst hook and line I had used as a boy among the

sticklebacks of Polton Penna.

 

Leaving the rocks behind me, I turned the point and made for, the

brow of a low hill that overlooked the sea on the further side. I had

noticed that the sea birds gathered here in greater numbers than

elsewhere, and when I reached the cliff, to my surprise and delight,

I found the ground literally covered with nests. Indeed, it was a

matter of some difficulty to move without treading upon the eggs. My

delight can scarcely be overestimated, for here was a new food

supply, and one that, while it would be unlikely to give out for some

weeks to come, would be infinitely preferable to the wretched limpets

upon which we had almost made up our minds we should have to subsist.

I hastened to fill my handkerchief and pockets with the spoil, and

when I could stuff in no more, continued my walk in a much easier,

and consequently more thankful, frame of mind.

 

As I tramped along, glancing ever and anon at the sea, the sordid

details of my past life rose before me. When I considered it, I felt

almost staggered by the change that had come over me. It seemed

scarcely possible that so short a time could have passed since I had

plotted against Bartrand and had been so miserable in London. In my

present state of usefulness, I felt as if centuries had elapsed since

then, instead of barely a couple of weeks, as was really the case. I

wondered what would be said in England when the news got into the

papers, as I supposed it inevitably must, that I had found a watery

grave in the ill-fated Fiji Princess. Would there be anyone to

regret me? I very much doubted it. One hope occurred to me. Perhaps,

under cover of the supposition that I was dead, I might manage to

outwit the law after all, and then an opportunity would be afforded

me of beginning a new life in a strange land—the land that was the

home of Agnes Maybourne.

 

From a consideration of this important chance I fell to

thinking of the girl herself. Could it have been for the reason that

I was ultimately to save her life that Fate had raised her face

before my eyes to warn me that miserable night in London? It looked

very much like it. If, however, that was the beginning, what was the

sequel to be? for surely it could not be intended that Fate, having

brought me so far, should suddenly abandon me at the end. “Oh! if I

were only clean handed like my fellow-men,” I cried, in miserable

self-abasement, “how happy might I not be!” For I must mention here

that in my own mind I had quite come to the conclusion that Agnes

Maybourne entertained a liking for me. And, God knows, I on my side

had discovered that I loved her better than my own soul. What was to

be the end of it all? That the future alone could decide.

 

The other side of the island—that is to say, the side exactly

opposite that upon which we had landed—was almost precipitous, and

at the foot of the cliffs, extending for some distance out into the

sea, were a number of small islets, upon which the seas broke with

never-easing violence. I searched that offing, as I had done the

other, for a sail, but was no better rewarded. As soon as I had made

certain that there was nothing in sight, I turned upon my tracks and

hastened back to the plateau as fast as I could go. For some reason

or another, I experienced a great dread lest by any chance something

ill might have befallen my charges. But when I reached the beach

below the plateau and looked up, to see the fire still burning

brightly and Miss Maybourne moving about between it and the cave, I

was reassured.

 

The tide by this time had gone out, and the lifeboat lay high and

dry upon the beach. Before rejoining my companions I made my way

towards her.

 

To roll her over into her proper position was only a matter of

small difficulty now that the water was out of her, and once this was

accomplished I was able to satisfy myself as to her condition. As far

as I could gather, there was nothing amiss with her, even her oars

lay fastened to the thwarts as usual. How she could have got into the

water was a mystery I could not solve for the life of me. I examined

her most carefully, and having done so, found some pieces of wood to

act as rollers, and dragged her up the beach till I had got her well

above high water mark. After that I picked up my parcel of eggs and

climbed the hill to the plateau. It was now well on into the

afternoon, and I had still much to do before nightfall.’

 

When I