The tense eagerness in his voice might have warned her, were it not
that she was shocked by the bitterness which welled up in her heart.
She was amazed by this introspective glimpse; it alarmed her; she must
convince herself, at all costs, that she had spoken truly.
Although the evidence she tendered was of dubious value, she strove to
advance her argument further.
"I have prized our friendship greatly, Dr. Christobal," she said,
speaking with a calm deliberateness that rang hollow in her own ears,
"so greatly that I am compelled to utter this protest. Now, to end a
distasteful controversy, let me tell you what I know to be true. When
the ship was stranded, and we all thought our only chance of safety was
to take to the boats, by a fluke, the accident of the moment, I was
left alone in the captain's cabin. The sea was breaking in through the
doorway, and it brought an odd relief to my over-burthened mind when I
endeavored to rescue the contents of a locker which, for some reason,
had been scattered on the floor previously. Among them I found some
letters. I think you will believe me when I say that I would not
consciously read another person's private correspondence. Just then, I
was hardly responsible for my actions, and I did happen to see and
grasp the meaning of a passage in a letter from Captain Courtenay's
sister which alluded to his affianced wife. It is not such a tragic
admission, is it? I would scarce have given it another thought were it
not for your manner this morning and your words last night. I paid no
heed at the time to the innuendo that I had come on deck to find
him--to waylay him, as I have heard men say when speaking of a type of
woman I despise. So I resolved to straighten out a stupid little
tangle. It would be ridiculous, in our present state of suspended
animation, to let such a slight thing mar our friendship."
Elsie, was indulging in that most delusive thing, self-persuasion. It
was not surprising, therefore, that she failed to note the unmixed
satisfaction with which Christobal listened.
"Am I forgiven, then?" he asked, with a new tenderness in his voice.
"Oh, yes, let us laugh at it."
"But--"
"Please let us talk of something more useful. I have a little plan,
and you might ask the captain if he approves of it. We have plenty of
strong canvas; what do you say if I set to work and cover in the
promenade deck, fore and aft as well as on both sides? Then, if the
Indians try to seize the ship, they would not be able to gain a
lodgment at so many points simultaneously. It would simplify the
defense, so to speak."