“It is too horrible and too absurd!” said Barbara, a little brokenly.
The “Philadelphia” was now not far from Liverpool, proceeding with
infinite caution through the submarine and mine-haunted waters. In
great letters her name was painted on either side and never did the
Stars and Stripes float more conspicuously overhead.
Dressed for the arrival in England, Barbara and Nona were standing side
by side at a little distance from their fellow passengers. Mildred was
seated with the newspaper correspondent and his mother, and Eugenia was
talking with a good deal of interest to the English banker.
Nona did not answer the other girl’s speech immediately. She had
frowned, started to say something and then evidently changed her mind.
Both she and Barbara looked absurdly young and girlish for the work
ahead of them. Moreover, in their different ways they were typically
American, although their types were not the familiar ones known to most
Europeans.
Barbara had the vivacity, the alertness and the “goaheadiveness” of the
western girl. And in spite of being only a miniature physical edition
of these traits of character she was not miniature in any other sense.
Nona was more difficult to explain. She appeared so exactly what she
had been brought up to be and yet she might surprise one by unexpected
characteristics. She was almost too refined in her manner and aspect;
it gave her a look of delicacy and diffidence. And in some ways Nona
was shy. Nevertheless, there was a possibility that she might have the
strength and mettle which one is supposed to find in a thoroughbred
horse.
Finally she returned in her quiet drawl, which did not make her remark
less emphatic:
“Don’t worry, Barbara dear, at least not more than you can help. It
has been dreadful to have Lady Dorian a prisoner for these last few
days, yet Captain Miller has been as polite as he could be under
the circumstances. You see, as soon as the men discovered that
the explosion on the ship had been intentional, there had to be a
scapegoat. And you know Lady Dorian _is_ mysterious. She won’t say what
her real name is and she won’t surrender the odd iron box of papers
that she is carrying with her. Besides, the accident did start either
inside or near her stateroom. The small safe which must have contained
the explosive was found not far away.”
Nona paused. Though Barbara had listened politely enough she now
shrugged her shoulders, saying reproachfully, “Why, Nona, how odd you
are! Actually you talk as if you believed Lady Dorian guilty! Always
before you have been her staunchest champion. Besides, she seems to
have taken a great fancy to you. Now if Mildred had been speaking I
should have understood. She has been so influenced by Mrs. Curtis, or
by her son; but----”
A peculiar expression crossed her companion’s face which at the
instant silenced Barbara.
“Oh, no, I don’t think Lady Dorian guilty; the idea is ridiculous,”
Nona whispered. “So far as we have been able to judge, she is one of
the gentlest people in the world. The box of papers may prove that she
is sacrificing herself for her country in some strange way. She won’t
be able to keep them hidden once she lands. Captain Miller says that
they will have to be given up to the proper authorities. He did not
insist upon her relinquishing them upon his ship, because he had as
much as he could do to get us ashore in safety. Besides, Lady Dorian
is a woman. Captain Miller says an Irishman had best leave such a
situation alone. I am not sure he really suspects her.”
At this moment, hearing footsteps near, Nona Davis turned from looking
out toward the sea.
Approaching the place where they stood was the woman about whom they
had just been talking. She was dressed in dark-blue cloth with a small
hat of the same shade trimmed in a single darker feather. Behind her
came her maid carrying a long coat, and on either side of her were two
of the ship’s officers. They were entirely respectful, although never
getting any distance away. However, they need not have been fearful,
because the woman’s hands were locked together with a small steel chain.
She seemed pale and ill and yet, oddly enough, neither frightened nor
ashamed.
But the sight of her handcuffs had set Barbara’s cheeks flaming
indignantly. Yet they aroused an odd point of view. Could Nona be
right in her suggestion that people commit strange crimes in the name
of country in times of war, crimes from which their souls would have
shrunk in horror during peace? No, guilt of any kind was impossible to
imagine in connection with their new friend. In a sense Lady Dorian had
become their friend, since she and Nona had been helping to care for
her. Lady Dorian had been ill ever since the night of the explosion and
the accusation following upon it.
However, while she had been thinking, Nona, who was usually slower in
her movements, had crossed over and slipped her arm inside the older
woman’s.
They made a queer, effective picture standing together. Barbara was
conscious of it before joining them.
They were both women of refinement, who looked as if they should be
sheltered from every adversity. Nona was dressed in shabby black,
since all the money she had was being devoted to her expenses. Lady
Dorian’s costume suggested wealth. Nona was delicately pretty, with
promise of beauty to come, while the older woman was at the zenith of
her loveliness. Nevertheless, something they had in common. Barbara’s
western common sense asserted itself. “Perhaps it is because they both
belong to ‘first families,’” she thought wickedly, and wondered if this
were a good or evil fortune. Certainly until she reached them, Nona and
Lady Dorian were as completely alone as if the ship’s deck had been a
desert island.
Five minutes before several dozen persons had been loitering in the
neighborhood, impatiently watching and praying to be landed as soon as
possible. But as Lady Dorian advanced they had retreated. Perhaps they
had meant it kindly, for it is a painful shock to see a fellow being
a prisoner. Lady Dorian had been mistrusted, but she had not yet been
condemned. Suspicion is not evidence.
However, the little group did not remain alone for long, for soon after
both girls beheld Eugenia Peabody walking resolutely toward them. She
happened to have been born a determined character, and her nursing had
developed rather than diminished her determination.
Instantly Barbara and Nona became aware of Eugenia’s intention and
longed to frustrate it. But they both felt powerless, because Eugenia
did not speak or even look at them. Her dark eyes were leveled straight
at Lady Dorian. She appeared righteous and severe, but at the same time
impressive.
Moreover, as soon as she began talking the older woman flushed and for
the first time the tears came into her eyes.
“I don’t wish to be rude or unkind, Lady Dorian,” Eugenia remarked
stiffly, “but I do ask you to cease any suggestion of intimacy with
Miss Meade or Miss Davis. They have told you, of course, that we are
now on our way to nurse the wounded British soldiers. Well, I am
not for an instant accusing you of being a spy or having anything
to do with the accident aboard our steamer; nevertheless, you are
strongly suspected. Certainly you can see for yourself how young and
inexperienced Barbara Meade and Nona Davis both are. They are in my
charge and must not start their work of nursing under any cloud. By and
by if you are cleared and we should happen to meet again, why then of
course if you liked you could be friendly. Now----”
Eugenia stopped, but there was no doubting what she meant. Although
Barbara and Nona were both furiously angry at her interference and
sorry for their new friend, nevertheless there was that tiresome
conviction they had so often felt since sailing--Eugenia, though
trying, was frequently right.
Evidently Lady Dorian thought so too. Instinctively she lifted her
hands as though intending to offer one of them to Miss Peabody. But
finding this impossible she dropped her dark lashes to hide her emotion
and then answered as serenely as possible:
“You are entirely right, Miss Peabody, and I am to blame for not having
thought before of what you have just said to me. Please believe that
I _did not think_. Miss Davis and Miss Meade have been very good to
me and their sympathy and care have helped me endure these last three
days. I don’t know many American girls, but not for a great deal would
I allow my acquaintance to make things difficult for them. It would be
a poor return. I shall be arrested as soon as we arrive in Liverpool,
so I think we had best say farewell at once.”
Lady Dorian attempted no denial and no explanation. As she finished her
speech she glanced first at Nona and then at Barbara and let her eyes
say her farewells; then she stepped back a few feet nearer her guards.
Deliberately Nona followed her. Apparently unconscious of the presence
of any one else she lifted up her face and touched her lips to the
older woman’s.
“I believe in you implicitly,” she murmured. “Yes, I know there are
many things you do not wish to explain at present, and of course I
really know nothing in the world about you. Only I feel sure that we
shall some day meet again.”
Nona’s faith proved unfortunate. For the first time Lady Dorian showed
signs of breaking down. But the next moment, smiling, she indicated a
curious scroll pin that was caught in the lace of her dress.
“Will you take that, please,” she whispered, “and keep it until you
have better reason for your faith in me?”
Following Eugenia, Barbara glanced curiously at Nona Davis. She was not
easy to comprehend. After all, she it was who had emphasized all the
reasons for doubting their new friend and then declared her belief in
her entire innocence. It was merely that her faith did not depend on
outward circumstances. Barbara wondered if she herself were equally as
convinced. Then her conflicting sensations annoyed her. As usual, she
began quarreling with Eugenia Peabody.
“If you are taking us to join Mildred and the Curtis family, Eugenia,
then frankly I prefer other society. Nona and I had decided that we
wished to be by ourselves when we first see the coasts of England. But
so long as you feel you must be so terribly careful about chaperoning
us I would like to say that we know nothing about Brooks Curtis or Mrs.
Curtis except what they have told us, and Mildred Thornton has been
almost exclusively in their society for the past few days.” Barbara
tried to smile, but she looked very tiny and forlorn. She was homesick
and the parting with Lady Dorian had been disturbing. Besides, Mildred
was Dick Thornton’s sister and she had more or less promised Dick to
try and look after her. Could anything much more disastrous occur than
to have Mildred become interested in an unknown and presumably poor
newspaper reporter? Certainly Brooks Curtis showed no signs of being
either rich or famous in spite of his mother’s claims for him. Then the
thought of Mrs. Thornton’s anger made Barbara wish to sigh and smile at
the same time.