It may be argued that I must have been in a highly nervous condition

in order to be affected in such a manner by the mere sight of a man--a

man who had never addressed to me a single word of conversation.

Perhaps so. Yet up to that period of my life my temperament and habit

of mind had been calm, unimpressionable, and if I may say so, not

specially absurd.

What need to inquire how the man had got on board that ship--how he

had escaped death in the railway accident--how he had eluded my sight

at Dover Priory? There he stood. Evidently he had purposed to pursue

me to Paris, and little things like railway collisions were

insufficient to deter him. I surmised that he must have quitted the

compartment at Sittingbourne immediately after me, meaning to follow

me, but that the starting of the train had prevented him from entering

the same compartment as I entered. According to this theory, he must

have jumped into another compartment lower down the train as the train

was moving, and left it when the collision occurred, keeping his eye

on me all the time, but not coming forward. He must even have walked

after me down the line from Dover Priory to the pier.

However, a shipwreck was a more serious affair than a railway

accident. And if the ship were indeed doomed, it would puzzle even him

to emerge with his life. He might seize me in the water, and from

simple hate drag me to destruction,--yes, that was just what he would

do,--but he would have a difficulty in saving himself. Such were my

wild and fevered notions!

On the starboard bow I saw the dim bulk and the masthead lights of a

steamer approaching us. The other passengers had observed it, too,

and there was a buzz of anticipation on the slanting deck. Only the

inimical man opposite to me seemed to ignore the stir. He did not even

turn round to look at the object which had aroused the general

excitement. His eyes never left me.

The vessel came nearer, till we could discern clearly the outline of

her, and a black figure on her bridge. She was not more than a hundred

yards away when the beat of her engines stopped. She hailed us. We

waited for the answering call from our own captain, but there was no

reply. Twice again she hailed us, and was answered only by silence.

"Why don't our people reply?" an old lady asked, who came up to me at

that moment, breathing heavily.

"Because they are d----d fools," I said roughly. She was a most

respectable and prim old lady; yet I could not resist shocking her

ears by an impropriety.

The other ship moved away into the night.




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