Chapter 10
But Feathers was unmarried, and fully intended to remain so. He had spent a roving life, and always declared that he was not going to put on a clean collar or wash his hands unless he felt inclined to for any woman's sake.
"Not that any woman is ever likely to interest herself either in my hands or collars," he added ruefully.
Chris had sworn eternal bachelorhood also, which partly accounted for Feathers' disgust when he wrote to him of his intended marriage.
He had written back a sarcastic letter which Chris had carefully destroyed without showing it to Marie.
"I never thought you were a petticoat follower... What in the name of all that's holy has made you change your mind? Is it money, brains, or merely a pretty face? No, I will not be your best man--I won't even come to your beastly wedding. If you choose to get into a tangle like this you can do so without my a.s.sistance, and later on, if you want to get out of it, don't come crying to me for help either. I wash my hands of you!"
He had been quite prepared to dislike Marie, and was surprised because he did not; but then--so he argued to himself--how could anybody dislike such a child? And his sentiments veered right round the other way, until he decided that in all probability she would need protecting from Chris, though why, or in what way, he had not the smallest idea.
But he had offered her his friends.h.i.+p in all good faith, and was feeling a little sore at the manner of her refusal as he strolled along now in the suns.h.i.+ne through the crowds of holiday-makers, keeping a careless look-out for young Atkins.
There were a great many people bathing, and he stopped for a moment, one foot on the low railing that divided the promenade from the beach, scanning the water.
There was a good deal of laughter and chattering and screaming going on amongst the girls and women in the water, and he watched them with a sort of amused contempt. Why did they bathe if they found it so cold, and what fun could there be in standing in a few inches of water s.h.i.+vering and screaming?
And then all at once a change came over the whole scene. From light-hearted frivolity it seemed to turn to panic and fear. People left their seats on the parade and crowded down to the sands. A man's voice, frantic and agonized, raised itself above all the chatter and noise.
Feathers knew instinctively what had happened. He vaulted the low railing and ran across the sands, tearing off his coat as he went.
He kicked off his shoes at the water's edge and dashed into the sea, wading until the depths took him off his feet, and then swimming strongly.
A boat was circling round and round helplessly some way beyond the diving board. A youth in a wet bathing suit, white as a ghost and s.h.i.+vering with fright, was bending low over its bow, searching the smooth water with terrified eyes; when he caught sight of Feathers he broke into
"Feathers! For G.o.d's sake! She's gone! Mrs. Lawless! She screamed and I tried to get to her... I was too late, and she went down...
It must have been cramp--she was all right a moment before... Oh, for G.o.d's sake!"
He dived from the boat to his friend's side but Feathers shook him off.
"Get away... you fool! Can't you see you're hampering me?"
He dived again and again, desperately swimming under water in a vain search for the drowning girl.
Young Atkins had clambered back to the boat. He sat there in the hot suns.h.i.+ne, his face in his hands, sobbing like a woman.
He felt that it was all his fault He knew he could never be able to face Chris again. Over and over in his mind rang the tragic words: "And she was only married yesterday! Only married yesterday!"
At that moment he would gladly have given his life for hers. He felt that he would not go on living if she had gone.
And then a sudden wild shout went up from the crowds on the beach.
Young Atkins looked up, not daring to hope, and there in the sea, only a few yards from the boat, the rough dark head of Feathers appeared above the smooth water, swimming strongly with one arm and supporting a small, helpless object with the other.
He seemed to have forgotten the boat, for he made straight for the sh.o.r.e, and though eager men waded out to his help, and a dozen pairs of arms were stretched out to take his burden from him, he shook his head and held her jealously.
"Beauty and the beast!" someone whispered as the tall, ugly man waded ash.o.r.e with the girl's limp body in his arms.
Perhaps he heard, for at any rate a faint, grim smile crossed his dark face as he laid her down on the warm sands.
There was a doctor amongst the crowd, and a little group closed about her, chafing her limbs, working her arms up and down, frantically trying to beat life back into the inert little body.
Feathers stood by breathing hard, the water dripping from him.
He kept his eyes fixed on Marie's deathly face.
A woman in the crowd began to cry, "Poor child! Poor child!" For Marie Celeste looked only a child as she lay there, her wet hair tumbled all around her.
"It's too late, she's gone!" someone else said, hopelessly, and Feathers turned like a lion.
"It's not too late," he thundered. He went down on his knees beside her, exhausted as he was, and worked like a giant to save her, and all the time he was wondering what Chris would do, what Chris would say, and if he would be expected to break the news to him.
And then, after a long time, a little sh.e.l.l-like tinge of color crept back to the marble whiteness of Marie's face--the doctor gave a little exclamation, and went on with his work harder than before.
Feathers asked him a harsh question:
"Can we save her?"
"I think so--yes!..."
Each moment seemed an eternity, until, with labored, choking breaths and little gasping cries, Marie struggled back to life and the golden summer morning.
Feathers rose to his feet. "I'll go on and tell her husband. You're sure she's out of danger?"
The doctor smiled, well pleased.
"Oh, she's all right now." He turned to the stretcher upon which they had laid the girl, and Feathers started to walk away, but the crowd would not have this. They surged round him, slapping him on the back and cheering him to the echo. They were only too eager and willing to give praise where it was due, and at last, in desperation, Feathers broke into a run and eluded them.
He went into the hotel across the garden, and through a side door, his dripping clothes leaving little wet marks all the way. He met one of the porters in the pa.s.sage. The man stopped with a gasp of dismay.
"Good heavens, sir! Has there been an accident?"
"Yes, one of the ladies here, a Mrs. Lawless, but she's all right now. Can you find her husband for me? He's probably in the writing-room. Do you know him?"
"Oh, yes, sir, but..."
"Well, clear off and fetch him, then! I'm all right--don't make a fuss. They're bringing her here. Hurry, man, hurry!"
He was back in a moment with Chris, looking greatly mystified and not at all upset, for the porter had been afraid to tell him the truth of what had happened, and had merely said he was wanted.
Feathers explained in a few words.
"Mrs. Lawless got out of her depths or got cramp or something, but she's all right. She had a nasty scare, though. It's all right; they're bringing her along."
Chris went dreadfully white. He clutched his friend's arm. "You're not lying to me!" he said, hoa.r.s.ely. "She's not--dead!"
Feathers laughed. "Good lord, man, no! I tell you it's all right.
She got a bit of a ducking. She's probably back in the hotel by this time; you'd better go and see for yourself."
But Chris had gone before he had finished speaking, and Feathers crept away up to his room and peeled off his sodden clothes.