He stood stock still.What was this accidental touch which had evoked the strange accent of her voice? He dared not answer that question.But he had to answer the question of what was to be done now.Had the moment of confession come? The thought was enough to make one's blood run cold.
It was as if those people had a premonition of something.In the taciturn days of the passage he had noticed their reserve even amongst themselves.The professor smoked his pipe moodily in retired spots.Renouard had caught Miss Moorsom's eyes resting on himself more than once, with a peculiar and grave expression.He fancied that she avoided all opportunities of conversation.The maiden lady seemed to nurse a grievance.And now what had he to do?
The lights on the deck had gone out one after the other.The schooner slept.
About an hour after Miss Moorsom had gone below without a sign or a word for him, Renouard got out of his hammock slung in the waist under the midship awning - for he had given up all the accommodation below to his guests.He got out with a sudden swift movement, flung off his sleeping jacket, rolled his pyjamas up his thighs, and stole forward, unseen by the one Kanaka of the anchor-watch.His white torso, naked like a stripped athlete's, glimmered, ghostly, in the deep shadows of the deck.Unnoticed he got out of the ship over the knight-heads, ran along the back rope, and seizing the dolphin-striker firmly with both hands, lowered himself into the sea without a splash.
He swam away, noiseless like a fish, and then struck boldly for the land, sustained, embraced, by the tepid water.The gentle, voluptuous heave of its breast swung him up and down slightly;sometimes a wavelet murmured in his ears; from time to time, lowering his feet, he felt for the bottom on a shallow patch to rest and correct his direction.He landed at the lower end of the bungalow garden, into the dead stillness of the island.There were no lights.The plantation seemed to sleep, as profoundly as the schooner.On the path a small shell cracked under his naked heel.
The faithful half-caste foreman going his rounds cocked his ears at the sharp sound.He gave one enormous start of fear at the sight of the swift white figure flying at him out of the night.He crouched in terror, and then sprang up and clicked his tongue in amazed recognition.
"Tse! Tse! The master!"
"Be quiet, Luiz, and listen to what I say."Yes, it was the master, the strong master who was never known to raise his voice, the man blindly obeyed and never questioned.He talked low and rapidly in the quiet night, as if every minute were precious.On learning that three guests were coming to stay Luiz clicked his tongue rapidly.These clicks were the uniform, stenographic symbols of his emotions, and he could give them an infinite variety of meaning.He listened to the rest in a deep silence hardly affected by the low, "Yes, master," whenever Renouard paused.
"You understand?" the latter insisted."No preparations are to be made till we land in the morning.And you are to say that Mr.
Walter has gone off in a trading schooner on a round of the islands.""Yes, master."
"No mistakes - mind!"
"No, master."
Renouard walked back towards the sea.Luiz, following him, proposed to call out half a dozen boys and man the canoe.
"Imbecile!"
"Tse! Tse! Tse!"
"Don't you understand that you haven't seen me?""Yes, master.But what a long swim.Suppose you drown.""Then you can say of me and of Mr.Walter what you like.The dead don't mind."Renouard entered the sea and heard a faint "Tse! Tse! Tse!" of concern from the half-caste, who had already lost sight of the master's dark head on the overshadowed water.
Renouard set his direction by a big star that, dipping on the horizon, seemed to look curiously into his face.On this swim back he felt the mournful fatigue of all that length of the traversed road, which brought him no nearer to his desire.It was as if his love had sapped the invisible supports of his strength.There came a moment when it seemed to him that he must have swum beyond the confines of life.He had a sensation of eternity close at hand, demanding no effort - offering its peace.It was easy to swim like this beyond the confines of life looking at a star.But the thought: "They will think I dared not face them and committed suicide," caused a revolt of his mind which carried him on.He returned on board, as he had left, unheard and unseen.He lay in his hammock utterly exhausted and with a confused feeling that he had been beyond the confines of life, somewhere near a star, and that it was very quiet there.
