The click of the anchor engine was followed by the throbbing of the
_Dirigo_'s screw, but both the Rev. Theophilus and wife supposed them to
be the whirr of an unseen electric fan. Saki's dinner was exceptionally
good, and there was a cold bottle of vichy for the missionary, who
lingered a long time after the coffee to tell about the ravages of the
cholera the year before. When at last they ascended to the deck there
was nothing to be seen of Chang-Yuan but a glare of tile roofs on the
distant horizon.
"Bless me!" remarked the Rev. Theophilus, gazing stupidly at the
coffee-colored waves about them. "What is the meaning of all this? Where
are we going? I must go ashore. I have no time for pleasure sailing!"
"Certainly not!" echoed his wife. "Kindly return at once! Why, we are
miles from Chang-Yuan!"
And then it was, according to McGaw, that the boy more than rose to the
occasion and verified the prophecy of the Admiral, though under a
somewhat different interpretation, that he would "make good," for,
standing by Margaret's side, he saluted the missionary and with eyes
straight to the front delivered himself of the following preposterous
statement:
"I exceedingly regret that my orders do not permit me to exercise the
discretion necessary to return as you request. The Admiral commanding
the Asiatic squadron specifically directed me to proceed at once to
this place and rescue the Rev. Theophilus Newbegin and wife. I was given
no option in the matter. I was to _rescue_ you, that is all. I received
no instructions as to what to do in the event that you preferred not to
be rescued, and I interpret my orders to mean that I am to rescue you
whether you like it or not. Everything will be done for your entire
comfort and Saki has already prepared my stateroom for Mrs. Newbegin. I
trust that you will not blame me for obeying my orders."
"Bless me!" stammered the Rev. Theophilus. "Dear me! I really do not
know what to say! I am exceedingly disturbed. It seems to me like an
unwarrantable interference--not on your part, of course, but on that of
the Government. But," he added apologetically, "we cannot blame you for
obeying your orders, can we, Henrietta?"
But Mrs. Newbegin's ordinarily vacuous face bore a new and radiant
expression.
"I see the hand of Providence in this, Theophilus!" she said.
"Yes--yes!" he answered, wiping his forehead. "God moves in a mysterious
way--in an astonishing way, I might say." He looked regretfully over his
shoulder toward the fast-vanishing Chang-Yuan.
Margaret slipped her hand into his and laid her head on his arm. "I am
so glad, uncle!" she whispered. He patted her cheek.
"Yes, yes, it is probably better this way," he sighed. "Henrietta, let
us retire to the cabin and consider what has happened. My young friend,
be assured we bear you no ill will for your involuntary action in this
matter."
* * * * *
Four evenings later under the snapping stars of the midsummer heaven
Margaret Wellington and Jack Russell sat side by side in two camp chairs
on the bridge of the _Dirigo_. The gunboat was sweeping round the great
curve of the Yang-tse above Hankow and to starboard the pagodas of
Wu-chang rose dimly through the lights of the city. Below in the hot
cabin sat the Rev. Theophilus and his wife reading "The Spirit of
Missions."
"And now," said the boy, as he drew her hand through his, "you are going
to be happy forever and always. The world is full of wonderful things
and nice, kind people who are trying to do good and yet have a jolly
time while they are doing it. And you will have the dearest mother a
girl ever had. How proud she'll be of you! Now promise to forgive me;
you know why I did it! Do you suppose I'd have dared to do it if I
hadn't?"
"Yes," she answered happily, "I knew why you did it and I forgive you,
only, of course, it really was very wicked. But----"
The sentence was never finished--to the delight of the government pilot
behind them.
"What do you think my uncle will say when we tell him?" she laughed.
"He'll say, 'Bless me! Dear me! I don't know!'" answered the boy, and
they both giggled hysterically.
Abaft the black shadow of the smokestack Yen and the Shan-si man stood
in silence watching the two on the bridge. The Shan-si man raised his
arm once more in the direction of Wu-chang and made a joke.
"Above is Heaven's Hall!" said he. "Below are--the two most foolish
things in all the world--a boy and a girl!"