A man goes mad in an instant. Marc was again raving, as he had raved in
the madhouse at Benevent. But the sight of Cecile had given purpose to
his language.
"Vengeance--vengeance! Fiend! The time has come! Fate--fate has
brought us together! I could not escape you! I must kill you--kill
you! We must be damned together! Hark at the roar of the waters! Hark
at the wailing of the winds! Our shroud!--our dirge!--our requiem! that
tells us of hell! for I am a murderer, and you--"
He had the strength of ten strong men.
It took that number to hold him.
The wretched Andre fell prone in a swoon.
Cecile's women called on the Virgin and the saints.
We all held Marc.
Cecile turned upon me.
"You told me he was dead," she said.
Then, to the captain of the _Lepante_--"I am innocent--innocent--
innocent!"
But, in moments of supreme danger, men's ears are deaf to other people's
business.
It was save himself who can.
A leak had been sprung in the _Lepante_ by the collision with our yacht.
The pumps could not hold their own with the waters.
There was a panic on board.
The storm had abated. The boats were got ready. All rushed to them.
"_Place aux dames_!" I cried; and, with the spasmodic strength of great
crises, I held back the men, and got the women off first. Then men
enough to take charge of the boat.
M. Andre was in it; the first that was lowered. Another followed,
filled with the crew of the _Lepante_. Her captain was the first to
leap into it.
And Marc, freed from the arms that held him, dashed over the side into
the foaming waters, to swim after Cecile.
His vengeance was not in this world.
As for me, I was left alone on the _Lepante_--with the rats.