Page:Guy Boothby - The Beautiful White Devil.djvu/183

 "Very good. And your instructions to them?"

"Will be rigidly carried out. As they come up with the yacht, after seeing our signal of distress, Matheson and Balder will make an excuse and get upon the bridge; once there they will cover the officer of the watch with their revolvers, and do the same for the skipper if he is there, or directly he comes on deck. They will then compel him to heave to. Burns by this time will have taken his station at the first saloon companion ladder, Alderney doing the same at the second; Caldermanwill be at the engine-room door, and Braham at the fo'c's'le; then we shall send a boat and take off our man."

"That will do, Mr. Walworth. You have arranged it admirably, and I am sincerely obliged to you."

A flush of pleasure rose on the man's usually sallow cheek. He did not answer, however, only bowed and went on deck. Then Alie turned to me.

"Dr. De Normanville," she said, "I have not yet thanked you for your help in this last adventure; without your assistance I don't know whether I could possibly have brought it to such a successful issue."

"You must not thank me," I answered. "Is it possible that you can imagine I would have let that scoundrel betray you? Alie, you know how much I But there, I have given you my promise, so I must not say what I want to do."

She took my hand and looked into my face with a sweet smile that was very different to the one she had worn when she talked to Ebbington.

"Not yet," she said very softly. "Some day you shall say it as often as you please. In the meantime we must get to business. Will you come on deck and