"Zenie, come back!" he breathed softly. "Zenie, come back!"
The girl's chest rose convulsively, and sank, then rose again with a deeper inhalation, and the staring eyes closed.
The mindless thing stood erect, with a face suffused by a rush of blood, staggered, and turned; then, in a deep, sonorous voice, declaimed:
"'Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.'"
It was the finish of the quatrain begun by Bridge, and interrupted by the blow of the cane.
"What?" he continued, as he looked down on the faintly breathing figure of the girl. "Miss Munson! What—what is it? Where are we? We were in the alleyway a minute ago. What has happened? Tell me! Where's the ship?"
The girl's eyes opened, and a faint smile came to her face.
"What is it?" he insisted, stooping down and taking her cold, wet hands. "Miss Munson, what has happened? We're ashore, and you're all wet! Have you been overboard? You said you could swim! Why, there's the ship now, at anchor! They're putting off with a boat! But why? Tell me, Miss Munson! What does it mean? I've grown a beard! Why—tell me! What is it? Zaza, tell me!"
The cold, wet hands of the girl closed gently on his big, bony fingers. "Not Zaza!" she whispered. "Zenie! I am Zenie! I know I am!"