The Cricket Part 58

She blazed in silent fury.

"Cricket, don't be cross. It was only a joke to tease your beaux. They were funny, standin' there in their neat white flannels, weren't they now?"

No answer.

They were received with a shout of delight from the boat. Haven met them at the rail and greeted Isabelle.

"Larry, you win!" he shouted, and they all shook hands with the Captain and beat him on the back.

"Win?" inquired Isabelle.

"Major O'Dell bet Larry that he couldn't get you aboard and Larry took him."

"Major O'Dell, that wasn't fair," cried Isabelle.

They all stared at him, and she added with a chuckle:

"It happened just as we planned it, didn't it?"

"Did you put something up on me, O'Dell?" cried Larry. "Ye cheat--ye old pirate!"

He fell upon him, and a rough-and-tumble inaugurated the party. When O'Dell found a chance he joined Isabelle.

"You little witch!" he said. "Ye certainly made a b.o.o.by of ole Larry.

But don't you be coming between me and my best friend."

"I won't if he keeps out of my way," she blazed, "but I'm mad!"

"'Twas only a joke. We wanted ye to come. For my sake, be nice and funny, an' like yourself."

"All right," she answered amiably. "But you owe me something, if I am."

"Name it, and it's yours."

"It's mine already. I want my Chinese coat back."

He stared at her for a full second.

"It is yours, then?"

"Yes."

"I told him it was----"

"Told _him_?"

"It wasn't my room ye left it in."

"No? How did you know, then?"--in alarm.

"The man who found it asked every woman aboard and never thought of you, because--well--you're such a baby," he added, staring.

"What's that got to do with it? I went out in the corridor to get some air, and I went in the wrong door, by mistake. I took off my coat, and started to climb up to my berth, when the boat joggled, and I put my hand on _a moustache_! I was so scared that I ran off without my coat."

The Major began to laugh.

"What's the joke?" inquired Larry, joining them.

"It's a secret between Major O'Dell and me. On your sacred honour, Major, you won't tell," said Isabelle.

"On my sacred honour."

"Go away, O'Dell, and let me make my peace with the Cricket."

"Major O'Dell, you will stay, if you please."

True to her promise to O'Dell, she played up and kept them all amused, but she never so much as looked at Larry. Thoroughly annoyed, he devoted himself conspicuously to Mrs. Darlington and Miss Devoe. But he might have been in China for all the impression his flirtation made on Isabelle. They landed late in the afternoon, with the Bryce-O'Leary feud still on.

Isabelle told the story of her capture to Miss Watts, but with that lady's perverted English sense of humour, she thought O'Leary's prank was funny. She knew that she ought to disapprove of it, but she only laughed.

Isabelle went off to read a letter which she found awaiting her, from her G.o.d-son Jean. It proved rather a surprise. She read it twice. It was undeniably a love-letter. In it he told her--that he adored her in a great many ways and a great many times. He had known all along that she was not old, and now that he saw how young she was, how lovely . . . it went on and on. He wished to address her father at once, and ask her hand in marriage. He enclosed a photograph of himself; he was quite good looking. It was a thrilling letter, but it took her breath away. How could he know she was young and lovely?

She answered it instantly, tearing up many sheets of paper in the process. She a.s.sured him that he was mistaken, that she was too old to think of marriage, even if she loved him--which she could not say she did, because she didn't know him. Her father was long since dead, so he could not address him, etc., etc. In short, unless he could think of her as his devoted _marraine_ they must end the correspondence, there and then.

She despatched it at once, with a resolve to handle "her son Jean" with more restraint in the future. Needless to say she did not mention the letter to Agnes, whose overtures to peace she had finally accepted.

Life went on its interesting way. Captain O'Leary made his peace with her, too, and lost it again. Major O'Dell acted as intermediary in their battles. He was delightful, in this capacity, but he would not tell any more about the coat. He said he would see that it was returned to her, but that it might take some time.

The next letter from Jean Jacques Petard was a flaming torch of pa.s.sion.

She might as well drop her disguise. He knew her for her true self. He loved her madly; he read her love, in the cold lines she forced her pen to write. One word of love from her and he would come. He was on convalescent leave and at her service.

She was really alarmed now. Nothing but the impossibility of getting a cable sent kept her from that extravagance. She wrote him at length. It was all a mistake. She admitted that she was young. She told him that she did not love him, and that--deeply grateful though she was for his beautiful devotion--she felt that this must be her last communication to him. She added, in the hope of putting an end to his letters, that she was about to leave Bermuda. With a sigh of relief she posted this dismissal, and at that moment she ceased to be _marraine_ to Jean and Edouard. It was too bad that duty should carry so amiss!

Two weeks later, with no explanation or excuse, a cable came from Wally to Miss Watts:

"Come home by next boat."

It was a blow to them both, they were having such a good time. But it was "theirs not to question why"--so they packed hastily, to catch the steamer leaving on the morrow.

It happened that hostilities were on at the moment, between Isabelle and the Captain. She did not want to leave him without a farewell, nor did she want to make overtures toward peace. He was off on Haven's yacht when the news of the approaching sudden departure spread about. It happened that on his return no one spoke to him about it. Isabelle saw him after dinner on the terrace. He lit a cigarette and strolled off alone toward the gardens. She followed him. He wandered into a sort of kiosk, where the view was fine, and she darted in after him, and straight into his arms.

"Good-bye," she said, "good-bye. I hope it isn't for ever."

He held her to him in complete surprise, and laid his cheek upon her hair.

"Cricket," he said softly, "little old crickety-Cricket! Good-bye for what?"