The Ghost: A Modern Fantasy

quite refreshed. My mind was strangely clear, every sense preternaturally alert. I began to wonder what had aroused me. Suddenly the sh

ried. He was in the next berth to

h!" I a

ng oil-lamp. Immediately the score or so persons in the saloon were afoot and rushing about, graspi

nds he was tearing handfuls of hair from his head. I had heard the phrase "tearing one's hair" some thousands of time in my life, but never till that moment had I witnessed the action itself. Somehow it made an impression on me. The man raced round the saloon

rs trying to lower a boat from its davits. Then I knew that the man who had cried "We're sinkin

ale with agitation, sei

oing?" she ques

lied; and then a young man

e," I heard him say t

n filled that place. I saw his mouth and all his features working in frantic endeavor to s

hat alarmed, but you are not in such an absolutely a

uted from the bridge, that the moon was shining fitfully, that the sea was black and choppy; I also seemed to catch the singing of a hymn somewhere on the forwar

that I was at the bows of the steamer. For a million sovereigns I could not explain under what circumstances I had moved f

and answered wildly, as if in delirium. It seemed strange that anything could have occurred on so small a vessel without the precise details being common property. Yet so it was, and those who have been in an accident at sea will suppo

ill had the formidable list to starboard; the captain was on the bridge, leaning over, and with his hands round his mouth was giving orders to an officer below. The sailors were still struggling to lower

deflected, whizzed down again within a few feet of my head, and dropped on deck, spluttering in a

m in it. I've got myself safely off the railway

discover how the disaster had been brought about. I honestly

luck!" I murmured

"Am I going to lose her?" I murmured. And then: "What a sensation there'll be in the papers if this ship does go down!" My brain flitted from point to point in a quick agitation. I decided suddenly that the captain and crew must be a set of nincompoops, w

eling towards me? Drowned! Who said drowned? There were the boats, if they could be launched, and, moreover, I could swim. I considered what I should do at the moment the ship foundered-for I still felt she

myself, too. I said I would leave that delicate point till the time came, but in my heart I knew that I should beat off such a person with all the savagery o

sca, the jealousy of Carlotta Deschamps, the plot (if there was one) against Rosa-what were these matters to me? But Rosa w

. They were not even sending up rockets now, nor burning Bengal lights. I had no patience left to ask more questions. A mood of disgust seized me. If the captain himself had stood by my side waiting to reply to requests for information, I doubt if I should have spoken.

o me started to undress hastily. I watched him. He had taken off his coat, waistcoat, and boots, when a quiet, am

ad dragged the girl away from me when I first came up on deck. She was on his arm, and had a rug over her head. Both

igarette?

ank

w what all this busin

were struck on the port paddle-bo

id it

't k

the ship th

t. "You see, half the paddle-wheel was knocked off, and when that sank, of course the

going

hidden under a seat. They're rather a nuisance to carry about. You're

or I at her. She did not seem to be interested in our conver

om I had last seen in the railway carriage at Sittingbourne. He was, as usual, imperturbable, sardonic, terrifying. His face, which chanced t

o me that his existence overshadowed mine, and that in some way he was connected with the death of Alresca. Possibly there was a plot, in which the part played by the jealousy of Carlotta Deschamps was only a minor one. Possibly I had unwittingly stepp

re sight of a man-a man who had never addressed to me a single word of conversation. Perhaps so. Yet up to that period

ufficient to deter him. I surmised that he must have quitted the compartment at Sittingbourne immediately after me, meaning to follow me, but that the starting of the train had prevented him from entering the same compartment as I entered. According to this theory, he

zle even him to emerge with his life. He might seize me in the water, and from simple hate drag me to destruction,-yes,

ed it, too, and there was a buzz of anticipation on the slanting deck. Only the inimical man opposite to me seemed to ignore

s not more than a hundred yards away when the beat of her engines stopped. She hailed us. We waited for the answer

old lady asked, who came up to me

was a most respectable and prim old lady; yet I co

p moved away

aptain was so sure of being ultimately able to help himself that he preferred from

course of his peregrinations, the girl whom he cal

ous thing!

at

d out about t

id it

e, too. The captain ordered the man at the wheel to put the boat to port-I don't know the exact phraseology of the thing-so that we could pass the other ship on our starboard side. Instead of doing that, the triple idiot shoved us to starboard as hard as he could, and before the captain could do anything, we were st

he dam

ably

at the wheel exp

now, but he can just talk. He swears that when the captain gave his order a third person ran up the step

eer t

ys that this highly mysterious third person made hi

n must

ce of that. Anyhow, he sees visions, and I maintain that the Chatham and Do

suppose we aren't now

et struck on the paddle-box, and also it was pure luck that the sea has gone down so

idly round the ship, and her eyes encountered the

r her breath, "what a te

said he

w is it he's wearin

und, and in a moment was moving quickly to the after-part of the

e young man said. "I wonder if he's the

lly dropped Rosa's jewel-case, which had ne

said, smiling. "If we had foundered, should you

returning his smile. In shipwrecks on

not, it is a

a jewel

ase about with him when the next moment he might find himself in the sea. At least, that was my interpretation of the no

Nay, I knew that it was true; I knew by instinct. And being true, what facts were logically to be deduced from it? What aim had this mysterious man in compelling, by his strange influences, the innocent sailor to guide the ship towards destruction-the ship in which

ne on board the vessel. As the light spread over the leaden waters, and the coast of France was silhouetted against the sky, the passengers seemed to understand that danger was over, and that we had been through peril, and escaped. Some thre

mainder of the port paddle had, in fact, fallen away into the water. The hymn-singers ceased their melodies, absorbed in anticipating what would happen next. At last, after many orders and goings to and fro, the engines started agai

he owners of smacks bawled and shouted. They desired to assist; for were we not disabled, and would not the English railway company pay well for help so gallantly rendered? Our captain, however, made no sign, and,

w it had been nothing, after all; how it would not fill more than half a column in the newspapers; how the officers of the

hough the people were stricken by a sudden impulse to dash away from the poor craft at any cost. At the Customs, amid all t

her talked cheerfully as he sipped chocolate; he told me that his name was Watts, and he introduced his sister. He had a pleasant but rather weak face, and as for his manner and bearing, I could not decide in my own mind whether he was a gen

on to Paris?" h

I get there the bette

crossed the Channel many times, but I have neve

s, until a railway official entered the buffet wi

remained on the platform. It was a corridor carriage, and the corridor happened to be on the far side from the platform. Mr. Watts went out to explore the corridor. I arranged m

any your brother,

here I have an-an engagement.

d embraced her. She kissed him affectionately. Then, having closed the carriage door, he stolidly r

irl," I r

porter ran along to put th

e off," I said

flush in the cold morning light,-"monsieur."

say something to me of importance,

ep an eye on my brot

I asked, some

ove, and she walked

way buffets on the journey; he will be m

I stop him if

and she was running now t

sk it as a favor. Pardon the r

ell to the poor girl, sank back into my se

r in his corner. Also

I could not help admiring the clevern

ted. Then I made for the handle of the communication cord. It had been neatly cut off. The train was now travelling at a good speed, an

sitting down, and I smiled-for, a