She tried to look in other directions, to devote herself to attending upon poor, weak John Studwick; but it was impossible, and strive how she would, her attention was constantly drawn back to the Cuban, who, with a smile upon his lip, watched her anxiety, and horrified her by coming to where the tube ran from the air-pump over the side, and picking it up held it in his hand as he glanced at her white face. Then he threw it down again, and turning to the men about him, spoke first to one and then to another, with the result that each of the scoundrels seemed placed upon his guard, and to be ready for any emergency. Laure, according to his custom, was armed to the teeth, carrying quite a little arsenal in his belt, and, after going round to the men, he advanced to where Rasp was standing. "Is that fellow working well?" he said aloud. "Pretty well," growled Rasp, taking some snuff. "Getting a bit lazy, though. He don't work like he did when he was at it for himself." Laure walked up and down the deck three or four times, and then stopped short by Hester, who shrank from his touch as he laid his hand upon her arm. "When is pretty Hester Pugh coming to make amends for all her coldness?" he said, with a smile. She did not speak, only cowered away, with her eyes fixed on his, like a bird beneath the glance of a snake. "I say, when is pretty little Hester going to reward me for all my patience and perseverance?" he repeated. "No, no! don't run away, little timidity. I am very dreadful, am I not? I am a terrible fellow to seize upon the ship, and make the scoundrels who tried to rob me work for my treasure. What--no answer?" Hester could not have spoken had she wished, for her position seemed to paralyse her. An indignant word might cause the wretch who persecuted her to endanger once more her husband's life, and so she crouched there trembling. The doctor and Captain Studwick were at the pumps, but she dare not appeal to them lest more mischief should befall, and hence she sat there trembling, feeling how thoroughly they were in the monster's power. "She is coy and angry at our neglect," said Laure, sneeringly. "Well, well, we must excuse it, for we have been too busy even to think of love. Let us apologise, then, and say that we love her more than ever; and now that the work is nearly done, we are going to seek our reward henceforward here, Hester." He laid his hand once more upon her arm, but she shrunk shuddering away, and the Cuban walked angrily to the side, where, with the tube in his hand, he stood gazing down, and watching the action of Dutch as he moved from place to place far below in the pure water.