erie beside me.

"I could not remain below," she said, "when we were nearing England. I
knew the effect the land would have upon you, and I wanted to be with
you."

I then gave her an account of the interview I had had with Pharos, and
of all he had said to me and I to him. She listened attentively enough,
but I could see that she was far from being impressed.

"Do not trust him," she said. "Surely you know him well enough by this
time not to do so. You may be very sure he has some reason for saying
this, otherwise he would not trouble himself to speak about it."

"I shall not trust him," I replied. "You need have no fear of that. My
experience of him has taught me that it is in such moments as these that
he is most dangerous. When he is in one of his bad humours, one is on
the alert and prepared for anything he may do or say; but when he
repents and appears so anxious to be friendly, one scarcely knows how to
take him. Suspicion is lulled to sleep for the moment, there is a
feeling of security, and it is then the mischief is accomplished."

"We will watch him together," she continued; "but, whether he is
friendly or otherwise, we will not trust him even for a moment."

So close were we by this time to the shore, and so still was the night,
that we could even hear the wavelets breaking upon the beach. Then the
screw of the steamer ceased to revolve, and when it was quite still
Pharos and the second mate descended from the bridge and joined us.

"This has been a bad business, a very bad business," the mate was
saying. "The skipper, the chief engineer, the steward, and three of the
hands all dead, and no port to put into for assistance. I wish I was
going ashore like you."

We shook hands with him in turn, and then descended the ladder to the
boat alongside. The thought of the mate's position on board that
plague-stricken vessel may possibly have accounted for the silence in
which we pushed off and headed for the shore; at any rate, not a word
was spoken. The sea was as calm as a mill-pond, and for the reason that
the night was dark, and we were all dressed in sombre colours, while the
boat chosen for the work of landing us was painted a deep black, it was
scarcely likely our presence would be detected. Be that as it may, no
coastguard greeted us on our arrival. Therefore, as soon as the boat was
aground, we made our way into the bows, and with the assistance of the
sailors reached the beach. Pharos rewarded the m