llowed her head to sink down on my shoulder. I
pitied the strong-willed, self-reliant nature which had given way under
some strain of which I had yet to be told. So I stooped and touched her
cheek with my lips in a friendly way, at which she looked up to me with
half-closed eyes, and whispered in a voice strangely soft and womanish
for her:

"If they must kill us, I wish they would kill us now."

I stroked her soft cheek gently, and urged a less hopeless view. "Even
if the worst come, we may as well live as long as we can."

Whereupon to my surprise she, having shot one quick glance into my eyes,
put my arm away and drew her chair apart from mine. Her head was turned
away from me, but I could not but notice that her bosom rose and fell
swiftly. Presently she faced round again, lit a cigarette, put her hands
in the pocket of her jacket, and her feet on another chair, and said
indifferently:

"You are right. Even if the worst must come, we may as well live as long
as we can."

This sudden change in her manner surprised me. I knew I had no art in
dealing with women, so I let it pass without comment, and looked out at
the glassy sea.

After some minutes of silence, the girl spoke to me again.

"Do you know anything of the actual plans of these maniacs?"

"No. I only know their preposterous purpose."

"Well, I know how it is to be done. Natalie was restless last night--you
know that we share the same cabin--and she raved a bit. I kept her in
her berth by sheer force, but I allowed her to talk."

This was serious. I drew my chair close to Miss Metford's and whispered,
"For heaven's sake, speak low." Then I remembered Brande's power, and
wrung my hands in helpless impotence. "You forget Brande. At this moment
he is taking down every word we say."

"He's doing nothing of the sort."

"But you forget--"

"I don't forget. By accident I put morphia in the tonic he takes, and he
is now past telepathy for some hours at least. He's sound asleep. I
suppose if I had not done it by accident he would have known what I was
doing, and so have refused the medicine. Anyhow, accident or no
accident, I have done it."

"Thank God!" I cried.

"And this precious disintegrating agent! They haven't it with them, it
seems. To manufacture it in sufficient quantity would be impossible in
any civilised country without fear of detection or interruption. Brande
has the prescription, formula--what do you call it?--and if you could
get t