"Yes," she agreed; "let us destroy it."
Her father nodded his head indifferently. With him the moment of tension had passed.
"Drop it into the sea," he said. "That will end it. Now, I think, I shall go and examine the books in the library."
He went out and closed the door; but Kasia stood for a long time without moving, staring at the little box of polished metal. After all, if he could not reproduce it; if there should be some convolution he had missed, some accidental conjunction he was not aware of! If to destroy it now would be to destroy it forever! Better that, of course, than run the other risk! But was there no other way? Perhaps, perhaps....
CHAPTER XV
A WORD OF WARNING
Wherefore it happened that Dan Webster, searching promenade and saloon and library, that afternoon, mounting to the boat-deck, descending to the lower deck, peeping into every nook and corner where passengers of the second-class were permitted to penetrate, looked in vain for Kasia Vard. Nor was her father anywhere to be seen. At last, perceiving the curious glances shot in his direction, and having stumbled for the third time over the same outstretched pair of feet, he mounted gloomily to the boat-deck and sat down to think it out.
The weather continued fine and the sea smooth, so that it was absurd to suppose that either of them was ill; and that they should keep to their stateroom on such an afternoon for any other reason, or even for that one, was more absurd still. Perhaps, if they were working....