Page:The Great Secret.djvu/80

64 It was an easy matter to get upon the taffrail and, by crouching amongst the shrouds, be able to look through one of the open windows into the interior, and although it was not very dignified for the captain and second officer to do this on board their own ship, yet needs must when necessity compels, therefore, with one impulse, they climbed up, and keeping themselves well within the shadow, they gazed across the deck and into the apartment.

A dense blue film of smoke at first met their eyes and half-obscured the people who were inside; but as they peered they at length distinguished the forms and faces dimly, as through a gauze curtain. The smoke-room was crowded with excited smokers, languid players of cards and dominoes, or Anarchists who had fallen asleep.

They were listening, those who played, to the talking of the chiefs, therefore their playing proceeded but indifferently, but all who were not asleep smoked diligently and helped to densify the haze.

Dr Andrew Fernandez had the head of the table, and he was speaking impressively and seriously, punctuating his words with much gesticulation, as is the manner with the best bred foreigners.

He had a finely-shaped face, as both the captain and Philip had remarked before, when he appeared to be only a private gentleman. A quiet and impassive face, pale and elongated, with keen, black eyes, dark, closely-cropped hair, and Vandyke beard, which gave him rather the melancholy appearance of some portraits of Charles I. of England. He was tall and slenderly built, with slightly-stooping shoulders, a man of studious habits, whom at first sight impressed a spectator as a kindly-disposed yet rather critical and refined nature. Philip, as he looked at him, no longer wondered that