Then I suggested that he should return to the Stella until Sampayo had left Lisbon. This was not my real reason. I really wished to have him on board in case I should decide upon the drastic step of carrying off Miralda and could use him to get her to go to the yacht.
But he jumped away from the suggestion as if it were a red-hot iron. “I am sorry I cannot, Mr. Donnington. I’ll do anything else, but to-morrow I must go on duty.”
“Why?” I asked with surprise at his exaggerated love of discipline.
“Don’t ask me that. I cannot tell you. I cannot really.”
“But you’ve told me a good deal.”
“I’d tell you anything else. You’re the best friend a fellow could have. But this is not my secret. Please don’t question me.”
“Not your secret, eh? Then it’s some of this conspiracy business. It strikes me you’re going to make a fool of yourself. You’d much better have nothing to do with it.”
“For heaven’s sake don’t say any more.”
“Very well. By the way, you wanted to have my yacht for a day?”
His tell-tale face was instantly so troubled that I took it he connected the question with what I had said before.