The solemnity of the scene had its effect on the men, who gathered together talking of supernatural visitations, haunted ships, and the ghosts of the old buccaneers who watched over their buried treasure, till they were all more or less infected with fear; and the squinting sailor expressed his opinion that no good would come of meddling with what was evidently meant to lie buried, he was sure—a declaration that excited the laughter of Tonio, who ended by calling him a cowardly fool.
Meanwhile, on deck the excitement of being at last so near the goal of their hopes kept the leaders of the expedition from seeking their cots, and Dutch was gazing thoughtfully at the breaking sea falling back in a murmur in golden foam, when he started, for a little cold hand was laid upon his, and he found that Hester was by his side.
“What do you want?” he said, coldly; but his voice had lost its former harshness.
“My husband to tell me that he believes and trusts me once again,” she said, piteously. And she sank on the deck to embrace his knees.
Dutch Pugh was a stern man, but he could not long resist this appeal. He had fought against the piteous glances now for many days. He had turned a deaf ear to Bessy Studwick’s rebukes and insistance upon Hester’s innocence; but now, in the soft darkness of that tropic night, in the silent grandeur of that mysterious sea, he felt his heart beat wildly with its old love. But there was that damning scene that he had witnessed from the garden seeming to rise up like a grim shadow between them, and, with a sigh, he raised her and led her weeping to the cabin stairs.
“Good-night, Dutch, dear Dutch,” she filtered, clinging to his arm.
“Good-night, Hester,” he said, coldly.
“Pray, pray do not let us part like that,” she whispered. “Dutch, dear Dutch, if you could only read my heart, you would know how unkind are your suspicions, how cruel to me. Let me explain. Question me—anything.”
“Good-night,” he said. “Go down below. I will not have a scene here.”
“I will obey you, Dutch,” she said, quietly, as by a great effort she mastered her emotion. “Some day, dear, you will find out the truth. Till then I will wait patiently and unchanging. Don’t be angry with me for coming. I should have died if you had left me behind.”