“Hush! Not that! You are not guilty. You could not be guilty. You! so brave, so tender, so sacrificing! You! to murder a woman. It is not true. Since the day I first met you I have never believed it. Since you told me the story, I have wanted no other testimony. Now, will you say what was in your heart a moment ago?”
“I cannot. I——”
“Listen. To-night I said that we were mere acquaintances. I said I did not love you. I lied! I do love you. With all my heart and soul I love you.”
“Dorothy!”
“Frank! Husband!”
XV
Despite the nerve and body-racking experiences of the day before, Howard was up and on deck the next morning at the first peep of day, straining his eyes for sight of Jackson and the Joyces.
The need for instant action was strong upon him. He did not doubt that Forbes had sent the snake upon him, just as (judging from Mother Joyce’s tale to Dorothy) he had before sent it against one of Prudence Gallegher’s ill-fated husbands, and he only wondered that the doughty captain had not followed up the attack.
“I suppose the fellow didn’t know how devilish near he came to succeeding,” he muttered to himself grimly. “But he’ll bring his men next time, and we must fight or get out of his reach in a hurry. If Jackson and the others were only here!”
But neither Jackson nor the Joyces were there. Strain his eyes as he might, Howard could see no moving figures anywhere on the wreck-pack, and, with an anxious sigh, he turned away to inspect the scene of the last night’s encounter.