He didn't see the Hannays go. The only thing he saw distinctly was the
Canon's large grey face, and the eyes in it fixed unpleasantly on him. He
wished the Canon would let him alone.
He was getting really _too_ sleepy. He would have to rouse himself
presently and go. With a tremendous effort he dragged himself up and
went. Ransome walked with him to the club and left him there.
The club-room was in an hotel opposite the pier. He could get a bedroom
there for the night; and when the night was over he would be able to
think what he would do. He couldn't go back to Prior Street as he was. He
was too sleepy to know very much about it, but he knew that. He knew,
too, that something had happened which might make it impossible for him
to go back at all.
Ransome had told the manager of the hotel to take care of him. Every now
and then the manager came and looked at him; and then the drowsiness
lifted from his brain with a jerk, and he knew that something horrible
had happened. That was why they kept on looking at him.
At last he dragged himself to his room. He rang the bell and ordered
more whiskey. This time he drank, not for lucidity, but for blessed
drunkenness, for kind sleep and pitiful oblivion.
He slept on far into the morning and woke with a headache. At twelve
Hannay and Ransome called for him. It was a fine warm day with a
southerly wind blowing and sails on the river. Ransome's yacht lay off
the pier, with Mrs. Ransome in it. The sails were going up in Ransome's
yacht. Hannay's yacht rocked beside it. Dick took Majendie by the arm.
Dick, outside in the morning light, looked paler and puffier than ever,
but his eyes were kind. He had an idea. Dick's idea was that Majendie
should run up with him and Mrs. Ransome to Scarby for the week-end.
Hannay looked troubled as Dick unfolded his idea.
"I wouldn't go, old man," said he, "with that head of yours."
Dick stared. "Head? Just the thing for his head," said Dick. "It'll do
him all the good in the world."
Hannay took Dick aside. "No, it won't. It won't do him any good at all."
"I say, you know, I don't know what you're driving at, but you might let
the poor chap have a little peace. Come along, Majendie."
Majendie sent a telegram to Prior Street and went.
The wind blew away his headache and put its own strong, violent, gusty
life into him. He felt agreeably excited as he paced the slanting deck.
He stayed there in the wind.
Downstairs in the cabin the Ransomes were quarrelling.
"What on earth," said she, "possessed you to bring him?"
"And why not?"
"Because of Sarah."
"What's she got to do with it?"
"Well, you don't want them to meet again, do you?"
Dick made his face a puffy blank. "Why the devil shouldn't they?" said
he.
"Well, you know the trouble he's had with his wife already about Sarah."
"It wasn't about Sarah. It was another woman altogether!"
"I know that. But she was the beginning of it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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