The Dark Star

She waited a little longer, then with an indescribable look at the

helpless man below, she withdrew her head, pushed herself free, hung

to the invisible rope ladder for a moment, swaying against the open

port. His eyes were fastened on her where she dangled there against

the darkness betwixt sky and sea, oscillating with the movement of the

ship, her pendant figure now gilded by the light from the room, now

phantom dim as she swung outward.

As the roll of the ship brought her head to the level of the port once

more, she held up her pistol, shook it, and laughed at him: "Now do you believe that I can shoot?" she called out. "Answer me some

time when that mocking tongue of yours is free!"

Then, climbing slowly upward into darkness, the light, falling now

across her body, now athwart her skirt, gilded at last the heels of

her shoes; suddenly she was gone; then stars glittered through the

meshes of the shadowy, twitching ladder which still barred the open

port. And finally the ladder was pulled upward out of sight.

He waited. After a little while--an interminable interval to him--he

heard somebody stealthily trying the handle of the door; then came a

pause, silence, followed by a metallic noise as though the lock were

being explored or picked.

For a while the scraping, metallic sounds continued steadily, then

abruptly ceased as though the unseen meddler had been interrupted.

A voice--evidently the voice of the lock-picker--pitched to a cautious

key, was heard in protest as though objecting to some intentions

evident in the new arrival. Whispered expostulations continued for a

while, then the voices became quarrelsome and louder; and somebody

suddenly rapped on the door.

Then a thick, soft voice that he recognised with a chill, grew angrily

audible: "I say to you, steward, that I forbid you to entaire that room. I

forbid you to disturb thees yoong lady. Do you know who I am?"

"I don't care who you are----"

"I have authority. I shall employ it. You shall lose your berth! Thees

yoong lady within thees room ees my fiancée! I forbid you to enter

forcibly----"

"Haven't I knocked? Wot's spilin' you? I am doing my duty. Back away

from this 'ere door, I tell you!"

"You spik thees-a-way, so impolite----"

"Get out o' my way! Blime d'you think I'll stand 'ere jawin' any

longer?"

"I am membaire of Parliament----"

And the defiant voice of Jim's own little cockney steward retorted,

interrupting: "Ahr, stow it! Don't I tell you as how a lydy telephones me just now

that my young gentleman is in there? Get away from that door, you

blighter, or I'll bash your beak in!"

The door trembled under a sudden and terrific kick; the wordy quarrel

ceased; hurried steps retreated along the corridor; a pass key rattled

in the lock, and the door was flung wide open: "Mr. Neeland, sir--oh, my Gawd, wot ever 'ave they gone and done, sir,

to find you 'ere in such a 'orrid state!"