the return of tarzan-第31章

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him　that　his　friends　are　much　worried　by　his　continued　absence。〃



〃You　are　very　fond　of　Mr。　Caldwell？〃　suggested　Monsieur　Thuran。



〃I　think　he　is　splendid；〃　replied　the　girl。　　〃And　mamma　is

perfectly　infatuated　with　him。　　He　is　the　sort　of　man　with

whom　one　has　a　feeling　of　perfect　securityno　one　could

help　but　have　confidence　in　Mr。　Caldwell。〃



A　moment　later　the　steward　returned　to　say　that　Mr。　Caldwell

was　not　in　his　stateroom。　　〃I　cannot　find　him；　Miss　Strong；

and〃he　hesitated〃I　have　learned　that　his　berth　was　not

occupied　last　night。　　I　think　that　I　had　better　report　the

matter　to　the　captain。〃



〃Most　assuredly；〃　exclaimed　Miss　Strong。　　〃I　shall　go

with　you　to　the　captain　myself。　　It　is　terrible！　　I　know　that

something　awful　has　happened。　　My　presentiments　were　not

false；　after　all。〃



It　was　a　very　frightened　young　woman　and　an　excited　steward

who　presented　themselves　before　the　captain　a　few　moments　later。

He　listened　to　their　stories　in　silencea　look　of　concern

marking　his　expression　as　the　steward　assured　him　that　he

had　sought　for　the　missing　passenger　in　every　part　of　the

ship　that　a　passenger　might　be　expected　to　frequent。



〃And　are　you　sure；　Miss　Strong；　that　you　saw　a　body　fall

overboard　last　night？〃　he　asked。



〃There　is　not　the　slightest　doubt　about　that；〃　she　answered。

〃I　cannot　say　that　it　was　a　human　bodythere　was　no　outcry。

It　might　have　been　only　what　I　thought　it　wasa　bundle　of　refuse。

But　if　Mr。　Caldwell　is　not　found　on　board　I　shall　always　be

positive　that　it　was　he　whom　I　saw　fall　past　my　port。〃



The　captain　ordered　an　immediate　and　thorough　search

of　the　entire　ship　from　stem　to　sternno　nook　or　cranny　was

to　be　overlooked。　　Miss　Strong　remained　in　his　cabin；　waiting

the　outcome　of　the　quest。　　The　captain　asked　her　many

questions；　but　she　could　tell　him　nothing　about　the　missing

man　other　than　what　she　had　herself　seen　during　their　brief

acquaintance　on　shipboard。　　For　the　first　time　she　suddenly

realized　how　very　little　indeed　Mr。　Caldwell　had　told　her　about

himself　or　his　past　life。　　That　he　had　been　born　in　Africa

and　educated　in　Paris　was　about　all　she　knew；　and　this

meager　information　had　been　the　result　of　her　surprise　that

an　Englishman　should　speak　English　with　such　a　marked

French　accent。



〃Did　he　ever　speak　of　any　enemies？〃　asked　the　captain。



〃Never。〃



〃Was　he　acquainted　with　any　of　the　other　passengers？〃



〃Only　as　he　had　been　with　methrough　the　circumstance

of　casual　meeting　as　fellow　shipmates。〃



〃Erwas　he；　in　your　opinion；　Miss　Strong；　a　man　who

drank　to　excess？〃



〃I　do　not　know　that　he　drank　at　allhe　certainly　had　not

been　drinking　up　to　half　an　hour　before　I　saw　that　body

fall　overboard；〃　she　answered；　〃for　I　was　with　him　on　deck

up　to　that　time。〃



〃It　is　very　strange；〃　said　the　captain。　　〃He　did　not　look

to　me　like　a　man　who　was　subject　to　fainting　spells；　or

anything　of　that　sort。　　And　even　had　he　been　it　is　scarcely

credible　that　he　should　have　fallen　completely　over　the

rail　had　he　been　taken　with　an　attack　while　leaning　upon　it

he　would　rather　have　fallen　inside；　upon　the　deck。　　If　he　is

not　on　board；　Miss　Strong；　he　was　thrown　overboardand

the　fact　that　you　heard　no　outcry　would　lead　to　the　assumption

that　he　was　dead　before　he　left　the　ship's　deckmurdered。〃



The　girl　shuddered。



It　was　a　full　hour　later　that　the　first　officer　returned　to

report　the　outcome　of　the　search。



〃Mr。　Caldwell　is　not　on　board；　sir；〃　he　said。



〃I　fear　that　there　is　something　more　serious　than　accident

here；　Mr。　Brently；〃　said　the　captain。　　〃I　wish　that　you　would

make　a　personal　and　very　careful　examination　of　Mr。　Caldwell's

effects；　to　ascertain　if　there　is　any　clew　to　a　motive　either

for　suicide　or　murdersift　the　thing　to　the　bottom。〃



〃Aye；　aye；　sir！〃　responded　Mr。　Brently；　and　left　to　commence

his　investigation。



Hazel　Strong　was　prostrated。　　For　two　days　she　did　not

leave　her　cabin；　and　when　she　finally　ventured　on　deck　she　was

very　wan　and　white；　with　great；　dark　circles　beneath　her　eyes。

Waking　or　sleeping；　it　seemed　that　she　constantly　saw　that

dark　body　dropping；　swift　and　silent；　into　the　cold；　grim　sea。



Shortly　after　her　first　appearance　on　deck　following　the

tragedy；　Monsieur　Thuran　joined　her　with　many　expressions

of　kindly　solicitude。



〃Oh；　but　it　is　terrible；　Miss　Strong；〃　he　said。　　〃I　cannot　rid

my　mind　of　it。〃



〃Nor　I；〃　said　the　girl　wearily。　　〃I　feel　that　he　might　have

been　saved　had　I　but　given　the　alarm。〃



〃You　must　not　reproach　yourself；　my　dear　Miss　Strong；〃

urged　Monsieur　Thuran。　　〃It　was　in　no　way　your　fault。

Another　would　have　done　as　you　did。　　Who　would　think　that

because　something　fell　into　the　sea　from　a　ship　that　it　must

necessarily　be　a　man？　　Nor　would　the　outcome　have　been

different　had　you　given　an　alarm。　　For　a　while　they　would

have　doubted　your　story；　thinking　it　but　the　nervous

hallucination　of　a　womanhad　you　insisted　it　would　have　been

too　late　to　have　rescued　him　by　the　time　the　ship　could　have

been　brought　to　a　stop；　and　the　boats　lowered　and　rowed

back　miles　in　search　of　the　unknown　spot　where　the　tragedy

had　occurred。　　No；　you　must　not　censure　yourself。　　You　have

done　more　than　any　other　of　us　for　poor　Mr。　Caldwellyou

were　the　only　one　to　miss　him。　　It　was　you　who　instituted

the　search。〃



The　girl　could　not　help　but　feel　grateful　to　him　for　his

kind　and　encouraging　words。　　He　was　with　her　oftenalmost

constantly　for　the　remainder　of　the　voyageand　she

grew　to　like　him　very　much　indeed。　　Monsieur　Thuran　had

learned　that　the　beautiful　Miss　Strong；　of　Baltimore；　was　an

American　heiressa　very　wealthy　girl　in　her　own　right；　and

with　future　prospects　that　quite　took　his　breath　away　when　he

contemplated　them；　and　since　he　spent　most　of　his　time　in　that

delectable　pastime　it　is　a　wonder　that　he　breathed　at　all。



It　had　been　Monsieur　Thuran's　intention　to　leave　the　ship　at

the　first　port　they　touched　after　the　disappearance　of　Tarzan。

Did　he　not　have　in　his　coat　pocket　the　thing　he　had

taken　passage　upon　this　very　boat　to　obtain？　　There　was

nothing　more　to　detain　him　here。　　He　could　not　return　to

the　Continent　fast　enough；　that　he　might　board　the　first

express　for　St。　Petersburg。



But　now　another　idea　had　obtruded　itself；　and　was　rapidly

crowding　his　original　intentions　into　the　background。

That　American　fortune　was　not　to　be　sneezed　at；　nor　was

its　possessor　a　whit　less　attractive。



〃SAPRISTI！　but　she　would　cause　a　sensation　in　St。　Petersburg。〃

And　he　would；　too；　with　the　assistance　of　her　inheritance。



After　Monsieur　Thuran　had　squandered　a　few　million　dollars；

he　discovered　that　the　vocation　was　so　entirely　to　his

liking　that　he　would　continue　on　down　to　Cape　Town；　where

he　suddenly　decided　that　he　had　pressing　engagements

that　might　detain　him　there　for　some　time。



Miss　Strong　had　told　him　that　she　and　her　mother　were　to

visit　the　latter's　brother　therethey　had　not　decided　upon　the

duration　of　their　stay；　and　it　would　probably　run　into　months。



She　was　delighted　when　she　found　that　Monsieur　Thuran

was　to　be　there　also。



〃I　hope　that　we　shall　be　able　to　continue　our　acquaintance；〃

she　said。　　〃You　must　call　upon　mamma　and　me　as

soon　as　we　are　settled。〃



Monsieur　Thuran　was　delighted　at　the　prospect；　and　lost

no　time　in　saying　so。　　Mrs。　Strong　was　not　quite　so　favorably

impressed　by　him　as　her　daughter。



〃I　do　not　know　why　I　should　distrust　him；〃　she　said　to

Hazel　one　day　as　they　were　discussing　him。　　〃He　seems　a

perfect　gentleman　in　every　respect；　but　sometimes　there

is　something　about　his　eyesa　fleeting　expression　which

I　cannot　describe；　but　which　when　I　see　it　gives　me　a

very　uncanny　feeling。〃



The　girl　laughed。　　〃You　are　a　silly　dear；　mamma；〃　she　said。



〃I　suppose　so；　but　I　am　sorry　that　we　have　not　poor　Mr。

Caldwell　for　company　instead。〃