Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 7.djvu/87

Rh "The same, Captain MacElwin," quietly replied his rival.

We were not deceived; if Fabian was ignorant until now of Drake's name, the latter was only too well aware of Fabian's presence on the Great Eastern.

next day, at break of dawn, I went in search of Captain Corsican, whom I found in the grand saloon. He had passed the night with Fabian, who was still suffering from the shock which the name of Ellen's husband had given him. Did a secret intuition tell him that Drake was not alone on board? Had Ellen's presence been revealed to him by the appearance of this man? Lastly, could he guess that the poor crazed woman was the young girl whom he so fondly loved? Corsican could not say, for Fabian had not uttered one word all night.

Corsican resented Fabian's wrongs with a kind of brotherly feeling. The intrepid nature of the latter had from childhood irresistibly attracted him, and he was now in the greatest despair.

"I came in too late," said he to me. "Before Fabian raised his hand, I ought to have struck that wretch."

"Useless violence," replied I. "Harry Drake would not have quarreled with you; he has a grudge against Fabian, and a meeting between the two was inevitable."

"You are right," said the captain. "That rascal has got what he wanted; he knew Fabian, his past life, and his love. Perhaps Ellen, deprived of reason, betrayed her secret thoughts, or, rather, did not Drake before his marriage learn from the loyal young woman all he was ignorant of regarding her past life? Urged on by a base impulse, and finding himself in contact with Fabian, he has waited for an opportunity in which he could assume the part of the offended. This scoundrel ought to be a clever duelist."

"Yes," replied I. "He has already had three or four encounters of the kind."

"My dear sir," said the captain, "it is not the duel in itself which I fear for Fabian. Captain MacElwin is one