He opened the door.
Closed it carefully behind him to guard against intrusion.
Then he turn and faced--Joe Deering!
Jovial Captain Robinson stood aghast.
The sight of his old friend literally petrified him.
Deering stood facing the jovial scoundrel, his hands leaning on the table.
Not a muscle of his face moved.
A cold, settled expression was in his eyes.
So fixed, so steady, that they might have been set in the head of a dead man.
The jovial Robinson was tongue-tied for a time.
"Joe!"
This monosyllable he faltered after a long while, and after a very big effort.
But Joe Deering said never a word in reply, nor did he move a muscle.
"Joe."
Deering stared at him with the same fixed, gla.s.sy eyes, until Jovial Captain Robinson had a hideous idea flash across him.
Was it really a living man there?
He fastened a fixed, fascinating look upon the figure of the friend he had so villainously betrayed, and retreating a step, groped about behind him, for the handle of the door.
At last he got hold of it, and turned it.
"Stop!"
Deering had spoken, and with a jerk the jovial Captain Robinson turned round.
"Joe!" he gasped, again, "did you speak?"
Now Joe Deering saw by the traitor"s pallid cheeks, and frightened look, what was pa.s.sing in his mind.
So he was at no pains to destroy the illusion.
"I did. Your ears did not deceive you."
"I thought not," faltered Captain Robinson, plucking up in a faint degree, however.
"You marvel to see the ocean give up its dead," began Joe Deering, in a hollow voice.
Jovial Captain Robinson sank against the door for support, while a delicate green tint spread itself over his face.
We have said that he was a superst.i.tious man.
This huge lump of humanity--nay, rather of inhumanity--was worse than a schoolgirl in point of courage.
The very word ghost frightened him, if he saw it in print.
He was sure that Joe Deering was dead.
Certain was he that Joe Deering had been decoyed into that floating coffin, and sent to a watery grave by himself.
Here then was the betrayed man"s ghost come to reproach him with his crime.
The strong man turned heart-sick, and was like to faint.
Joe Deering looked at the fear-stricken traitor in silence.
He enjoyed his terror keenly indeed.
No feeling of pity at the abject terror of the wretched man crossed him.
For his thoughts went back to those fearful days and nights they pa.s.sed on board the doomed "Albatross."
Jovial Captain Robinson had been pitiless before, and the sufferings gone through in that terrible time had hardened Joe Deering"s kind heart.
A genial, generous and soft-hearted fellow as a rule, he could not pardon this infamous wretch who had lured him into such a trap, even while professing the most affectionate friendship for him.
No!
This was Joe Deering"s chance--his long looked-for opportunity, and no weak emotion should spoil the revenge which he had waited for so patiently.
Jovial Captain Robinson essayed to speak.
In a faint, faltering voice, he managed to p.r.o.nounce Joe Deering"s name.
"Well, murderer!" returned Joe Deering; "what is it you want?"
"I want you to shake hands with me, Joe," responded the other, almost inaudibly.
"a.s.sa.s.sin!"