In the glare of the pier's headlights they descended. Passengers were
entering the vast, damp enclosure; porters, pier officers, ship's
officers, sailors, passed to and fro as they moved toward the gangway
where, in the electric glare of lamps, the clifflike side of the
gigantic liner loomed up.
At sight of the monster ship Rue's heart leaped, quailed, leaped
again. As she set one slender foot on the gangway such an
indescribable sensation seized her that she caught at Neeland's arm
and held to it, almost faint with the violence of her emotion.
A steward took the suitcase, preceded them down abysmal and gorgeous
stairways, through salons, deep into the dimly magnificent bowels of
the ocean giant, then through an endless white corridor twinkling with
lights, to a stateroom, where a stewardess ushered them in.
There was nobody there; nobody had been there.
"He dare not come," whispered Neeland in Ruhannah's ear.
The girl stood in the centre of the stateroom looking silently about
her.
"Have you any English and French money?" he asked.
"No."
"Give me--well, say two hundred dollars, and I'll have the purser
change it."
She went to her suitcase, where it stood on the lounge; he unstrapped
it for her; she found the big packet of treasury notes and handed them
to him.
"Good heavens!" he muttered. "This won't do. I'm going to have the
purser lock them in the safe and give me a receipt. Then when you meet
the Princess Mistchenka, tell her what I've done and ask her advice.
Will you, Rue?"
"Yes, thank you."
"You'll wait here for me, won't you?"
"Yes."
So he noted the door number and went away hastily in search of the
purser, to do what he could in the matter of foreign money for the
girl. And on the upper companionway he met the Princess Mistchenka
descending, preceded by porters with her luggage.
"James!" she exclaimed. "Have you come aboard to elope with me?
Otherwise, what are you doing on the Lusitania at this very ghastly
hour in the morning?"
She was smiling into his face and her daintily gloved hand retained
his for a moment; then she passed her arm through his.
"Follow the porter," she said, "and tell me what brings you here, my
gay young friend. You see I am wearing the orchids you sent me. Do you
really mean to add yourself to this charming gift?"
He told her the story of Ruhannah Carew as briefly as he could; at her
stateroom door they paused while he continued the story, the Princess
Mistchenka looking at him very intently while she listened, and never
uttering a word.