I did not think it necessary to tell her that Justine was at that moment watching beside him. We walked the deck together in silence.
“I wonder,” she said, “that you care to walk with me. Please do not make the matter a burden.”
She did not say this with any invitation to courteous protest on my part, but rather with a cold frankness—for which, I confess, I always admired her. I said now: “Mrs. Falchion, you have suggested what might easily be possible in the circumstances, but I candidly admit that I have never yet found your presence disagreeable; and I suppose that is a comment upon my weakness. Though, to speak again with absolute truth, I think I do not like you at this present.”
“Yes, I fancy I can understand that,” she said. “I can understand how, for instance, one might feel a just and great resentment, and have in one’s hand the instrument of punishment, and yet withhold one’s hand and protect where one should injure.”
At this moment these words had no particular significance to me, but there chanced a time when they came home with great force. I think, indeed, that she was speaking more to herself than to me. Suddenly she turned to me.
“I wonder,” she said, “if I am as cruel as you think me—for, indeed, I do not know. But I have been through many things.”
Here her eyes grew cold and hard. The words that followed seemed in no sequence. “Yet,” she said, “I will go and see him to-morrow.... Good-night.” After about an hour I went below to Galt Roscoe’s cabin. I drew aside the curtain quietly. Justine Caron evidently had not heard me. She was sitting beside the sick man, her fingers still smoothing away the pillow from his fevered face and her eyes fixed on him. I spoke to her. She rose. “He has slept well,” she said. And she moved to the door.
“Miss Caron,” I said, “if Mrs. Falchion is willing, you could help me to nurse Mr. Roscoe?”
A light sprang to her eyes. “Indeed, yes,” she said.
“I will speak to her about it, if you will let me?” She bowed her head, and her look was eloquent of thanks. After a word of good-night we parted.