‘No one told me. I can see it for myself, and all the ship knows it. Though I keep my face well covered when I go on deck, I don’t shut my eyes, I can tell you; and there I see him, day after day, and night after night, by the side of the same young lady, whispering in her ear, and goggling at her with those great black eyes of his. So I asked Will their names (just as if it was for curiosity), and he said they was a Mr Harland and a Miss Vansittart; and she’s a great heiress, and they are to be married as soon as they get ashore. I said he looked a bad ’un, and I wouldn’t trust him with the change for a brass farthing; and then Will told me something about him that--Well, he bound me to secrecy, but all I can say, my pretty, is that the brute’s in your power whenever you choose to make use of the knowledge.’ ‘_In my power_,’ repeated Iris dreamily. She had grown very pale, and clenched her hand as Maggie spoke of her husband’s threatened infidelity; for though a woman may have learnt through much tribulation to hate and despise a man, she does not hear with equanimity that he is about to insult and pass her over for another. But as the girl declared that Harland was ‘_in her power_,’ her look of anger changed to one of determination. ‘Tell me directly,’ she cried, clutching her arm. ‘How is he in my power? What can I do to revenge myself on him?’ ‘Why, mistress, you frighten me!’ exclaimed Maggie. ‘I never saw you look like that before. Why should you care what such a black-hearted villain says or does, except it be to set you free--’ ‘Free! Free! What would be the good of freedom to me, Maggie? Do you suppose I would ever take advantage of it--to go in bondage to another man? But Mr Harland shall not marry this girl. He shall not aggrandise himself at her expense and mine! He shall not ruin another life, and make another woman curse the day she ever met him! No! not if I can prevent it! I have suffered so deeply--I have wept so much on account of him, that I feel as if I could lay down my life to save a fellow-creature from the same miserable fate! He shall not marry Miss Vansittart, Maggie! He shall not even continue to court her, if I can prevent it! But how--_how_?’ She clasped her head with her hands, and bowed herself over the table. ‘Mistress, dear!’ cried Maggie. ‘My pretty, don’t take on! Oh, the brute ain’t worth a single tear! If you knew as much as I do, you’d say so too!’ ‘I _do_ say so, and I believe it. Maggie, what shall I do?’ ‘Will you speak to Will, my dear? Will you tell him you’re that man’s wife, and ask his advice? He can give it better than I. And he can tell you something (that I daren’t) as will show you that Mr Harland’s worse than you ever thought him.’ And here she whispered in her mistress’s ear. ‘Oh, how dreadful! How awful it all is!’ moaned Iris. ‘What shall I do? Who shall I go to?’