Part 54

“Ho! carn’t I?” said the lady, raising her voice a little. “You go an’ tell him that his lawful wedded wife, what he deserted, is aboard.”

“It ’ud be no good, mum,” said the skipper, who felt the full dramatic force of the situation. “I’m afraid he wouldn’t listen to you.”

“Ho! I think I can persuade ’im a bit,” said the lady, drawing in her lips. “Where is ’e?”

“Up aloft,” said the skipper, removing his hat.

“Don’t you give me none of your lies,” said the lady, as she scanned both masts closely.

“He’s dead,” said the skipper solemnly.

His visitor threw up her arms and staggered back. The cook was nearest, and, throwing his arms round her waist, he caught her as she swayed. The mate, who was of a sympathetic nature, rushed below for whisky, as she sank back on the hatchway, taking the reluctant cook with her.

“Poor thing,” said the skipper.

“Don’t ’old ’er so tight, cook,” said one of the men. “There’s no necessity to squeeze ’er.”

“Pat ’er ’ands,” said another.

“Pat ’em yourself,” said the cook brusquely, as he looked up and saw the delight of the crew of the Endeavour, who were leaning over their vessel’s side regarding the proceedings with much interest.

“Don’t leave go of me,” said the newly-made widow, as she swallowed the whisky, and rose to her feet.

“Stand by her, cook,” said the skipper authoritatively.

“Ay, ay, sir,” said the cook.

They formed a procession below, the skipper and mate leading; the cook with his fair burden, choking her sobs with a handkerchief, and the crew following.

“What did he die of?” she asked in a whisper broken with sobs.

“Chill from the water,” whispered the skipper in response.

“I can’t see ’im,” she whispered. “It’s so dark here. Has anybody got a match? Oh! here’s some.”

Before anybody could interfere she took a box from a locker, and, striking one, bent over the motionless George, and gazed at his tightly-closed eyes and open mouth in silence.

“You’ll set the bed alight,” said the mate in a low voice, as the end of the match dropped off.

“It won’t hurt ’im,” whispered the widow tearfully.

The mate, who had distinctly seen the corpse shift a bit, thought differently.

“Nothing ’ll ’urt ’im now,” whispered the widow, sniffing as she struck another match. “Oh! if he could only sit up ’and speak to me.”

For a moment the mate, who knew George’s temper, thought it highly probable that he would, as the top of the second match fell between his shirt and his neck.

“Don’t look any more,” said the skipper anxiously; “you can’t do him any good.”

His visitor handed him the matches, and, for a short time, sobbed in silence.

“We’ve done all we could for him,” said the skipper at length. “It ’ud be best for you to go home and lay down a bit.”

“You’re all very good, I’m sure,” whispered the widow, turning away. “I’ll send for him this evening.”