berth and took up the body. It was not a pleasant thing to do. But it
must be done.

I was a long time reaching the deck, for the arms and legs swung to and
fro, and I had to move cautiously lest they should knock against the
woodwork I had to pass. I got it safely up and hurried aft with it.
Edith, I knew, would contrive to keep the men on watch engaged until I
had disposed of my burden. I picked up a coil of rope and made it fast
to the dead man's neck. Taking one turn of the rope round a boat-davit,
I pushed the thing over the rail. I intended to let go the rope the
moment the weight attached to it was safely in the sea, and so lowered
away silently, paying out the line without excessive strain owing to the
support of the davit round which I had wound it. I had not to wait so
long as that, for just as the body was dangling over the foaming wake of
the steamer, a little streak of moonlight shot out from behind a bank of
cloud and lighted the vessel with a sudden gleam. I was startled by
this, and held on, fearing that some watching eye might see my curious
movements. For a minute I leaned over the rail and watched the track of
the steamer as though I had come on deck for the air. There was a quick
rush near the vessel's quarter. Something dark leaped out of the water,
and there was a sharp snap--a crunch. The lower limbs were gone in the
jaws of a shark. I let go the rope in horror, and the body dropped
splashing into that hideous fishing-ground. Sick to death I turned
away.

"Get below quickly," Edith Metford said in my ear. "They heard the
splash, slight as it was, and are coming this way." Her warning was
nearly a sob.

We hurried down the companion as fast as we dared, and listened to the
comments of the watch above. They were soon satisfied that nothing of
importance had occurred, and resumed their stations.

Before we parted on that horrible night, Edith said in a trembling
voice, "You have done your work like a brave man."

"Say rather, like a forger and murderer," I answered.

"No," she maintained. "Many men before you have done much worse in a
good cause. You are not a forger. You are a diplomat. You are not a
murderer. You are a hero."

But I, being new to this work of slaughter and deception, could only
deprecate her sympathy and draw away. I felt that my very presence near
her was pollution. I was unclean, and I told her that I was so.
Whereupon, without hesitation, she put her arms round my neck,