"My dear," he said, "I"ve been puzzled recently; had a notion something was wrong. For all that, Wyndhams" was obviously prosperous, Harry"s an indulgent husband, and I wouldn"t own I"d grounds for bothering, until I saw this advertis.e.m.e.nt. Well, sometimes it"s rash to meddle, but I"m anxious. Tell me all you can."
Flora told him and after she stopped he was quiet for a time. The moonlight touched his face and she saw the lines get deeper. The old Commodore was deeply moved, but she was glad he did not look stern.
"I"ve got a knock and know how you were hurt. You bear it well," he said. "To some extent, the fault is mine. When Harry wanted to marry you I doubted but gave way. I ought to have been firm."
"You are not accountable," Flora replied. "I wanted you to approve, but I meant to marry Harry. I loved him, though I knew his drawbacks. But this doesn"t matter; I love him now."
Chisholm looked at her with knitted brows and she saw he was suffering for her sake.
"You are very staunch, but I knew this. You say Harry means to make reparation. Now he"s found out, his repentance is strangely thorough."
"You must not be bitter," said Flora quietly.
"Very well. Let"s be practical. Your husband"s job will be hard and long. He must carry his load, but part will fall on you. It"s already doing so."
"That is just. Much of the fault was mine. I trusted Harry, and after all I trust him better; but at the beginning this was not enough. I wanted you and our friends to know him; to own he had talent and see my pride in him was founded well. In a way, it was a mean ambition. I wanted him to get rich. Not because I"m greedy----"
"I think I understand," Chisholm remarked. "Perhaps we use the money standard oftener than we ought. It"s not high, but all the same, to earn money demands some useful qualities." He paused and added with a sigh: "I am poor and know."
"You are a dear! Your honesty is worth much more money than you could have earned. Then you"re not hard, as some honest people are. You will not be hard to Harry now he is trying to make amends?"
"Far from it! What right have I to hurt a broken man?"
Flora smiled. "Harry is bruised, but not broken. Then, you see, I made his temptation stronger. When I ought to have held him back I half-consciously urged him on. It was for my sake he broke rules we try to keep, and I mustn"t grumble if some of his punishment falls on me."
"After all, you did not know what you did."
"I ought to have known; I am his wife. But I think you understand, and there"s no more to be said."
Chisholm got up. "A nasty knock, but we can bear it. You have pluck and one can"t be beaten when one is not afraid."
They went back silently and near the end of the wall met Wyndham going to the landing steps. Chisholm stopped and gave him his hand.
"Flora has told me all," he said. "Your friends will stand by you."
PART III
REPARATION
CHAPTER I
WYNDHAM PAYS DUTY
Red reflections trembled on the sea, a fringe of languid surf broke along the beach, and as the liner turned a point, a white town that rose in terraces, glimmered like a pearl. A yellow flag ran up to the masthead, the throb of engines slowed, and a noisy launch steamed out from behind the mole. Marston, leaning on the rail, watched her approach, and his look was thoughtful when he turned to Wyndham.
"If Don Ramon got our telegram, he"s probably on board," he said. "I hope he is, because if he doesn"t come it might imply he means to make things difficult for us. He could if he liked."
"Larrinaga will come," Wyndham replied. "From all accounts, he"s a pretty good officer, but I don"t expect he neglects his interests while he looks after the State"s. I"m counting on this."
"I s"pose one mustn"t be fastidious, but I don"t want to get involved in fresh intrigue. The job we"ve undertaken is awkward enough."
"Very awkward," Wyndham agreed, with some dryness. "In a way, it looks too big for us. To begin with, we have got to pay duties we dodged, and satisfy the Government we cheated. Then, without exciting the latter"s curiosity, we"re going to stop a rebellion and carry off its leader.
There"s the worst puzzle. The fellow"s cunning and powerful. Moreover, he"s my uncle."
He stopped, for the engines clanked noisily as the screw turned astern; then the anchor splashed and the launch swung in to the gangway. The port doctor came on board and after him a man in tight-fitting American clothes. His wide black belt was spun from the finest silk and Marston noted his hat. Indians had woven the delicate material under running water; presidents and dictators wore hats like that, and none of the few produced were sent to Europe. It was obvious that Senor Larrinaga was now a man of importance.
"You sent for me," he said, with a bow.
"The steamer goes on in the morning," Wyndham replied. "We hesitated about landing and calling, for fear we might trespa.s.s on your time. By sending a telegram we left you free to refuse. If you are not much occupied, I hope you"ll dine on board."
Larrinaga said he was willing and after a time they went to the saloon.
For the most part, the pa.s.sengers had landed and only three or four occupied the tables. By-and-by the others went out and Wyndham opened a fresh bottle of Italian wine. A steward turned on the electric light and soft reflections fell on colored gla.s.s and polished wood. Beads of damp sparkled on the white-and-gold ceiling, although the skylights were open and a throbbing fan made a cool draught about the table. Footsteps echoed along the deck and when the steamer rolled the water gurgled about her side, but it was quiet in the saloon. By-and-by Larrinaga put down his gla.s.s.
"One likes to meet one"s friends, but I do not know if this alone is why you sent for me," he said. "If it is not, you see your servant!"
Wyndham bowed. "We value your friendship and particularly your honesty and tact. There is a matter we thought you might arrange for us."
"If it is possible; but you must be moderate. One is watched and criticized as one rises in rank, and it is difficult to allow one"s friends exclusive privileges. To grant too many robs the Government."
"We want to make the Government richer," Wyndham replied. "In fact, we propose to give you a sum that ought to have been paid, in smaller amounts, before. You will, no doubt, be able to hand it to the proper officer, without our being bothered by awkward formalities."
Larrinaga looked at him with puzzled surprise. "In this country one pays when one is forced, and the Government is generally paid last of all.
One seldom gives money for which one is not asked."
"We do not mean to rob your Government and my partner is rich enough to be honest," said Wyndham, smiling. "You have no customs officer at the lagoon, and we found on studying our accounts that some duties had not been paid."
"Proper copies of your cargo manifests ought to have been sent the officer at the port where your vessel"s clearance papers were stamped."
"I think the manifests were sent, but now and then we got cargo at the last moment as we were going to sea. Besides, the officer was a friend of ours----"
Larrinaga filled his gla.s.s, and while he pondered Wyndham lighted a cigarette. The matter needed careful handling. It was plain that Larrinaga"s surprise had gone and he was cautious.
"Then you propose to give me the money you ought to have paid?" the latter presently remarked.
"Yes," said Wyndham. "We are traders and must get on with our business, while the officer we knew has given up his post. If we write to his successor, we must comply with numerous formalities, and a stranger would insist on knowing why we did not pay at the proper time. Well, if you take the money, I expect you can straighten things out."
Larrinaga looked hard at him, and Wyndham smiled. He imagined the fellow was not honester than other government officials he had met on the Caribbean. Larrinaga knew it was in his power to keep back as much of the sum as he liked for his private use and would, no doubt, do so. In fact, the fellow would imagine he was offered a bribe. Since one does not give bribes for nothing, Wyndham must hint that he had an object, and the hint must be plausible.
"Then you expect no particular privileges?" Larrinaga remarked.
"Oh, no," said Wyndham. "All we want is to carry on our business without the small officials bothering us. We are not smugglers, but we would not like the vessel stopped if a manifest now and then is not properly made up. One must go in and out when the tide serves, and sometimes we do not know what goods we have on board until we check the tallies when we get to sea. If we find we have cheated the customs, you can trust us to put things straight. Only, we would sooner deal with somebody important; yourself, for example."