MY THEODOSIA (49 page)

A soft blissful feeling stole over her. She could no longer see those whom she loved, and yet she knew that they were there—waiting.

'Mrs. Alston!' A harsh voice jerked her back. Timothy Green bent over her, shaking her shoulder. 'Mrs. Alston—we are in great danger!'

Danger! She repeated the meaningless word to herself, resentful of its intrusion. What a silly word, like the clanging of a bell. But the bell clanged louder and nearer until it exploded thunderously.

She struggled up onto an elbow. 'What is it?' she cried. But her voice was lost in the rushing and crashing about them. Beneath the din there was another sound, a sinister measured pounding from behind the bulkhead. Now, acutely aware, she realized that this pounding had been going on for a long time.

'What's happened?' she cried again.

Timothy Green's wrinkled old face was white as his hair. 'One of the guns has broken loose. It's battering our sides in,' he shouted. 'We're leaking badly. The Captain doubts we can ride out the storm.'

As he spoke, he wondered why he had roused her with warning of their peril. They were helpless, only Providence could save them. Yet as she struggled to her feet he assisted her, supporting her with one hand while he clutched the bunk rail with the other.

Eleanore was useless. She lay on the pitching floor and moaned.

Another wave hurtled itself upon the
Patriot.
The ship heeled over and slid down as though she sped thankfully for the ocean bed. Theo, thrown to her knees, waited instinctively for the vessel to right herself again. But she did not: she lay on her beam ends, quivering like a hurt animal.

' We're sinking, ma'am!' cried Green. 'The cargo's shifted.'

A sinuous curl of black water oozed from beneath the cabin door and spread silently over the floor.

Eleanore threw herself forward onto Theo, clinging to her neck. 'Nous allons mourir—Madame. Nous allons mourir——'

Theo put her arm around Eleanore and drew the woman's limp body close. For an instant a spasm of mortal fear shook Theo and passed, leaving a faint astonishment. Death. Can it be that I am really going to drown? The sea to which all rivers flow: all life, all rivers run to the sea.

Her arm tightened around Eleanore. The woman buried her face in Theo's long flowing hair. Already it was halfwet, for the water reached to their waists.

What was it Father said once—long ago? He laughed, and yet he was utterly serious: 'Courage is a religion. Since we must all die—why, bless me, my dear, let's die game.'

She shut her eyes.

The
Patriot
lurched sideways and settled lower. The sea rushed in with a
soft
hiss.

Theodosia lifted her head and smiled a little. For she saw Aaron standing before her on the steps of Richmond Hill. She held out her arms to him: 'Don't be unhappy. I'm home at last where I've longed to be. I'll wait till you come. Merne and Gampy are back there inside the house. I shall be with them.'

And it seemed to her that Aaron's face and Richmond Hill were transformed by golden pulsations of light.

But in the cabin there was darkness.

The
Patriot
rolled sluggishly for the last time as though weary of her fruitless struggle. With a long sigh she nestled slowly into the welcoming depths of the tranquil, omnipotent sea.

THE END