"I am afraid you are not altogether right," I said, as I placed a seat for her close to mine. "I can hardly be sane when I am a voluntary passenger on board this vessel." "Do you really think they mean what they say?" she asked hurriedly, without noticing my remark. "I really think they have discovered the secret of extraordinary natural forces, so powerful and so terrible that no one can say what they may or may not accomplish. And that is the reason I begged you not to come on this voyage." "What was the good of asking me not to come without giving me some reason?" "Had I done so, they might have killed you as they have done others before." "You might have chanced that, seeing that it will probably end that way." "And they would certainly have killed me." "Ah!" I wondered at the sudden intensity of the girl's sharp gasp when I said this, and marvelled too, how she, who had always been so mannish, nestled close to me and allowed 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--"