Captain Studwick walked forward again, whistling, and then pulling out his gla.s.s he took a look at a fast steamer astern.

"Parkley," said Dutch, as soon as they were alone, "I could not say it before him, but I have not the manly strength to see her. I am weak as water, and I could not bear to see her agony. Tell her," he added with his lower lip working, "that I forgive her, and will pray for her, but I can never see her again."

"But, my dear Pugh, you must--"

"Good morning, gentlemen," said a voice that made them start; and turning sharply round, it was to find Mr Meldon, the young doctor. "I wanted to see you, Mr Pugh."

"To see me?"

"Yes, about Mrs Pugh. You know she came on board last night."

"Yes, I know," said Pugh, coldly.

"She must have left her sick bed to come and see you, I suppose. It was a very ill-advised course, for she was ill."

"Yes," exclaimed Dutch, with an eagerness he could not conceal.

"And I am sorry to say that she is now in a high state of fever."

"Fever!"

"Yes, and quite delirious."

"We must put back, then," exclaimed Dutch. "She must be set ash.o.r.e-- taken home."

"I should not like to take the responsibility of having her moved," said the doctor. "If you will take my advice, you will let her remain."

"Let her remain?" gasped Dutch. "Impossible!"

"No," said the doctor, smiling; "the removal is impossible."

"Is she in danger?"

"Not necessarily now; but she would be in great danger if moved. I'm afraid I must ask you to leave her to me. It is fortunate that I was on board, and that she has so good a nurse with her as Miss Studwick."

Dutch essayed to speak, but no words came, and drawing in his breath as if in intense pain he walked to the side and stood with his head resting upon his hand, looking out to sea, and wondering how this tangle was to be ended.

"Poor fellow! he seems a good deal cut up about it," said Mr Meldon, who was a dark, earnest-looking man of three or four-and-thirty.

"Yes," said Mr Parkley. "She was to have gone ash.o.r.e at Plymouth."

"Ha?" said Meldon. "Poor young thing. Great trouble about parting from her husband."

"Ye-es," said Parkley. Then, to turn the conversation, he said with a smile, "Lucky thing for us bachelors, Mr Meldon. We never have to trouble our heads about the women."

"N-no," said the doctor, looking sharply at his companion, with a broad red stain of blood suffusing his cheeks. "Quite a novelty, though, a voyage with ladies on board. He didn't hear me," he continued, as Mr Parkley obeyed a sign from the captain to come and have a look through his gla.s.s at the steamer astern.

"No, sir, he's gone to have a good look at that steamer, as seems as if she meant to overhaul us," said Sam Oak.u.m; "but I heard you, and you're right."

"Let's see, you are the second mate, aren't you, Mr Oak.u.m?"

"Sir, to you, I am," said Oak.u.m.

"But what do you mean by being right?" said the doctor with a smile.

"'Bout having ladies on board, sir. I know I've been voyages before with women aboard twice or three times mayhap, and no good can come of it."

"Ah, you're a croaker, I see," said the doctor, nodding and laughing.

"Your liver's out of order."

"Hope I am, sir; and as to my liver, I don't believe I've got one, leastways I can't say as I knows I've one. Ay, ay, sir, coming."

He trotted forward to obey a call from the captain, and more sail was hoisted, the steamer still overhauling them, and both the captain and Mr Parkley watched her intently, fully expecting to find that this was some new trick of the Cuban, but to the satisfaction of all concerned it proved a false alarm, and the schooner continued her way onwards towards the west.

It soon became evident, even to the greatest doubter, that the doctor was in the right, and, accepting it as fate that Hester must remain on board, Dutch devoted himself to the preparations for their cruise, rather avoiding the cabins when possible, and dividing his time between reading to the invalid John Studwick, and long talks with old Sam Oak.u.m about the coast and the places where he swore the old plate-ships lay.

"Lor' bless you, Mr Pugh, sir, and you, Mr Parkley," Oak.u.m said one day, when Land's End had long been left behind, and all was open water, "I'm as sure of the place as can be. I remember all the bearings, too, so well. Don't you be skeart about that; I'll take you, sure enough."

"Well, Oak.u.m, we are going to trust you," said Mr Parkley, "and if you lead us to success you shall not go unrewarded."

"I don't want no reward, sir," said the old man gruffly. "If it turns up trumps, you give me a pound or two o' bacco, and I shall be satisfied."

Mr Parkley laughed, and after a time left them together, Dutch seeming to find solace in the old sailor's company as, in a grumbling way, he began to talk about the state of those on board.

"Seems to me, sir, as it warn't wise to bring that there poor fellow aboard here, just to die and be wrapped in a hammock, for a sailor's funeral: he's allus in your way, and gives a fellow low spirits to see.

Look at that steward as the skipper must have, just as if we wanted a steward when we've got 'Pollo, as is as good a cook as ever came to.

Great fat fellow to go walloping down just when I wanted some rope coiled down, and set to blubbering like a great gal because he's left his wife behind."

Dutch winced slightly, and turned away to light a cigar.

"By-the-way, sir, how's your missus?" said Oak.u.m.

"Better, decidedly," said Dutch shortly.

"Glad on it, sir. Not as I likes women aboard; but I don't want 'em to be ill. Good job we've got the doctor here, to see as everybody takes his salts and senny reg'lar; but what in the world the skipper meant by shipping that great long chap, Mr Wilson, for I don't know. He won't go into one o' your soots, Mr Dutch, I know."

"Oh, no," said Dutch, smiling; "he's a naturalist, and going to collect birds."

"And take 'em out too, sir. He is a long-legged 'un. Why, I see him hit his head twiced up agen the cabin ceiling, and he's allus knocking his hat out o' shape. Nattalist, eh? Well, he's about the unnattalist-shaped chap I ever see, and all corners. It's my opinion, sir, as when he was made Natur begun him for a geerarf, and when she'd done his legs altered her mind and turned him into a man. You don't mind me going on talking, sir?"

"No, Oak.u.m, I like it," said Dutch, though he hardly took in a word.

"Well, sir, he's got a couple of cages full of birds, robins, and sparrers, and starnels, and all sorts, as he says he's going to set free out in South Amerikee, and bring back the cages full of other sorts."

"Naturalists have queer ideas, Oak.u.m," said Dutch, moving himself. "But about this place we are going to. The sea is always calm, you say?"

"'Cept in stormy times, sir, when, of course, she gets a bit thick. But there, don't you worry about that; we'll take you right to the spot, and lay you just where you can have the long-boat out with the pumps and traps, or maybe even get the schooner anch.o.r.ed right over the place, and you and Master Rasp there can go down and crowbar the gold and silver out in heaps."

"But suppose some one has been there before us," said Dutch.