CHAPTER XXVI

THE CUSTOMS

He was disturbed in his mind, but he said nothing when he came on board. There was no use in worrying the others, and he had reasons of his own for keeping silence. All the same, if Visconti were here in Genoa and the prime mover in the Vanjour business, the thing was more serious than it had seemed at first.

Visconti, from what he knew of him, was no ordinary man. If he were a crook, then he must be at the very top of his profession. He had the manner and appearance of an Italian nobleman, and it was possible that he was strongly enough placed to be able to make overtures to the Italian police. Failing to make profit out of the cargo of the Lorna himself, he might choose to make profit out of the information he could give about it to the authorities.

For a moment Sam almost regretted that he had not closed some sort of deal with Vanjour. Half a loaf is better than no bread.

Down below, smoking a pipe whilst the others were busy on deck, the unfortunate Sam had a very unhappy quarter of an hour. His unhappiness came from this: he could not remember exactly what he had said during that pleasant evening which he had spent on board the _Santa Margharita_ at Hyalos, under the influence of Italian champagne, cigars, liqueurs, and the fascination of Visconti's personality. He did remember having said that he was touching at Genoa on the way back--a quite innocent remark between two honest sailor men, but a deadly admission if Visconti was a rogue. What else had he said that might have given the whole business away by implication? He could not tell.

Not only did he feel that he might possibly have betrayed his companions, he felt also that he ought to tell them. Yet what good could it do? The thing was done and over, and all the confessions in the world were of no avail.

Besides it would be a horribly unpleasant business, for he would have to own up before Martia to having taken too much liquor.

He came on deck.

Dusk was just closing her hand on the world, and the shore lights beginning to sprinkle themselves from the great fort on the left across the terraced city, preparing itself for the gaiety of the night. The wind had shifted to east of north, a quarter almost exactly opposite to that from which it had blown in the morning.

What did that portend? Sam could not say. He was not up in the tricks of the Mediterranean weather. The glass was steady: that was enough for him. He set to work helping the others, though their work was nearly finished.

Then they went downstairs for supper.

"How'd it be," said Bobby, as they sat over the meal, "to shift our moorings now and get into the outer harbour? It would be easier for us getting out."

"You can't anchor there," replied Sam. "You'd have to berth beside one of the steamships, and you can't do that without giving notice. No, even if we could, I don't believe in two starts."

"Won't they hear the winch taking in the anchor?"

"Who?"

"The harbour people. They'd be sure to think it funny us clearing out at such an hour."

"I'm not going to raise the anchor. I'll knock the shackle off the chain and drop it. I have two spares."

"Listen!" said Martia.

Through the open skylight came sounds as of a boat arriving alongside, of oars being got in, and the voice of Atherfield and--a foreign voice.

The people seated at the table looked at one another. Martia grew a bit pale, and Bobby half-rose from his chair.

"Sit down!" whispered Sam. "And whatever you do, don't seem to be flustered if it's anyone that's----"

"Port man come up to see you, sir." Atherfield, standing in the doorway, stepped aside, and the "port man" entered.

A stout little man with brass buttons on his coat and wearing a gold-braided cap, which he removed at sight of Martia. He bowed in her direction. He was very polite, this representative of the port authorities, but to the girl, brutality of manner would not have been a whit less terrible than this politeness which spoke of power.

"Captain Hackett?" asked the stranger in a tentative voice.

"I'm him," said Sam, who had risen from the table.

"So. Well, I have some little business with you, Captain Hackett. I am from the Customs Superintendent, and I have my men with me, but I am sure we will not need them at all. Just a few questions to ask you, Captain Hackett. Thanks, I will sit me down. Now my papers." He took a bundle of blue papers from the pocket of his coat, "Now my spectacles." He put on a pair of pince-nez. "Very useful things, spectacles, but very great what you call a nuisance. Will not the lady sit down?"

He opened one of the blue papers and glanced at the writing on it for a moment, then folded it, and put the whole bundle of papers back in his pocket, took off his pince-nez, and toyed with them as he spoke.

"You Englishman?"

"Yes."

"And this lady and this gentleman English?"

"Yes, and the crew. All English."

"Boat of pleasure?"

"How do you mean? Oh, a yacht. Yes, that's so."

"No contraband on board, not declared?"

"You mean tobacco and stuff?"

"Captain, I said contraband."

"No, there's neither liquor or anything that you reckon is contraband."

"No wines, liqueurs?"

"No."

"No objects of art shipped from Italy?"

"No."

"Ah, well, it is in our information that this is not so. Pardon me for saying so, Captain Hackett."

"Let's be clear," said Sam. "I have some objects of art, as you call them, but they are not from Italy."

"Ah, you have some objects of art, but they are not from Italy. Where then are they from?"

"Greece."

"You have the papers to show that they are from Greece; bought in Greece?"

"No; we found them in Greece."

"You found them in Greece! Then from the Greek Government you will have papers of permission to find those things and to take them with you."

"No, I haven't any papers. We found them on an island."

"So. Well, it is our information that these things were taken from Italian soil. But we will leave that for the moment. I must make examination."

"Certainly," broke in Martia, then, turning to Sam, "Show him everything we have and he will see that they are Greek. Nothing like them was ever found in Italy, of that I'm sure."

She went to a locker and took out one of the vases, carefully wrapped in dried grass, and presented it to the officer. He took it, held it under the light and turned it about without comment. Then, still under the lead of Martia, the general inspection began. The Aphrodite in the bunk, the things hidden here and there, some in the bath-room, some in the galley--everything down to the Eros standing on its head, was revealed, inspected, and noted.

Then they came back to the cabin and sat down again.

Bobby produced a tin of cigarettes and the officer accepted one and lit it. He seemed mollified by the frank treatment he had received.

He took a paper from his pocket and made some notes then looking up:

"There is nothing more but these things you have shown me?"

"Nothing," said Sam.

"Well, that brings the affair to conclusion."

Martia gave a deep sigh of relief.

"It still remains that the ship is under arrest. What you say of these things being Greek I cannot determine. It must be put before the authorities at Naples, where the experts are. I believe you honest people and what you say to be truth, but I am not the Government. The ship must be taken to Naples. My men will take it there and you will all come ashore with me to attend the enquiry at Naples."

"Oh, good gosh!" said Bobby.

Sam said nothing.

"But surely," cried Martia, waking out of a horrible paralysis and feeling exactly as though she were in a nightmare--"surely you are not going to arrest us?"

"Arrest? No!" said the officer. "I will treat you, madame, and your companions with every consideration. But I must do my duty. There will be nothing but the going ashore and coming with me, not to-night, but on the morrow morning, just as friends. It will be nothing but coming with me till the enquiry makes it plain about this matter. And then I hope indeed it will be my pleasure to see you depart from Naples in your ship with these things. You will stay in an hotel at Naples for the enquiry, which will be expedited as rapidly as in our power."

"And our men?" asked Sam.

"They too, must come. The ship is under arrest, and in strictness it is my duty to ask you all to come with me ashore to-night, but you will have your things to pack and take with you and I wish to cause you no inconvenience."

"But," said Sam, "the expense."

"Should the enquiry prove in your favour, captain, the Italian government will see to the expense. If otherwise----"

He shrugged his shoulders.

Then he rose and gathered together his papers.

"You will not leave the ship? I have your parole?"

"Yes," said Sam, "I promise we won't leave the ship."

"Well, then, till to-morrow morning," said the other. "And do not be afraid, miss"--laying his hand in a kindly manner on Martia's arm--"there will be nothing of unpleasantness for you. Just the matter of coming ashore with me and taking the train for Naples. No police show. Nothing. I wish you good-evening."

They accompanied him on deck and saw him overside into the boat that was waiting.

Then they went below.

No one spoke for a moment. Bobby helped himself to a cigarette. Martia took her seat at the table.

The prospect before them was frankly appalling. They had all to go to Naples, afterguard and crew. The ship would be brought there. The enquiry might take months, and every newspaper in Europe would be full of it. Greece would have her say. They would have to engage counsel, pay hotel expenses, and were sure to lose in the end.

It would be a ruinous affair for all concerned.

"What I want to know," suddenly burst out Bobby, "is--who put these Customs chaps on to us? Vanjour? It couldn't be anyone else, and he's a crook, for he offered to share in the business. Well, we've got them there."

"How?" asked Martia hopelessly.

"How? Why, we can prove that the police are in league with Vanjour. He wouldn't have given the show away without being sure that he would profit by it. He wouldn't have done it simply from spite."

"I don't see how we are going to prove anything," replied the girl. "We have only our word to back us. Can't you see?"

Sam, who had been sitting with his face in his fists, suddenly looked up.

"Look here," said Sam. "We have committed no crime here. We haven't tried to run contraband. We have things on board that aren't even listed among contraband articles. I don't believe that, strictly according to law, they have any right to detain us here. I think they've overrun their cable. I know a good deal about port authorities and their ways, and I know they often do things quite indefensible simply because they have the power. They are the most arbitrary lot in the world."

"Why didn't you tell that to the Customs man?" asked Bobby. "And what's the good of talking? They have the power, and that's everything."

"You wait a minute," said Sam. "If we were out beyond the three mile-limit what could they do?"

"Take us and haul us back."

"Could they? Well, maybe they could. But that would be seizing a British ship on the high seas, and at once we could put the matter in the hands of the British consul. And on what charge would they seize us? For being in Genoa Harbour with articles on board that are neither contraband nor munitions of war? Didn't you notice that this fellow is so uncertain of his position that he has not done what he would have done if he had been sure we were breaking the law--put us all in quod right away? But leave all that aside. If we were once out beyond the sight of land, they might whistle for us. I'm going to have a try."

"To get out?"

"Yes. Creep out as we intended to. It's our only chance."

"But you gave your parole," said Martia.

"Yes, not to leave the ship. I'm not going to leave the ship."

"But they'll be watching us."

"Not they. If we tried to go ashore it would be different. But they'll never think of us going out. They don't even know we've got an auxiliary engine on board."

"But look here," said Bobby. "Even if we get out and away, do you mean to say they won't telegraph to England to stop us?"

"On what charge? The only charge the Italian government can make against us is that we have antiques on board that have possibly been taken from Italian soil. Possibly, mind you. They can give no facts. If they have us arrested in England on a bare supposition--and I doubt if they can--and if that supposition proves false, what do they let themselves in for? It doesn't matter a button about Greece. Italy has no right to act for Greece. What we are being held here for is a mere suspicion that these are Italian works of art, which they aren't. It's good enough to hold us, but it's not good enough to set the cables working, arrest us in England, and lay the Italians open for a big bill for compensation owing to that arrest."

Bobby whistled.

"By Jove," said he, "there's something in this. If only----"

"What?"

"We can get out."

"I don't know whether we can get out or whether we can't," said Sam, "but I'm going to have a jolly good try."

Martia, sitting with her hands folded in her lap, rose to her feet.

"I feel we will," she said. "I feel luck is with us. We made our plans even before that man came on board, and we've got our water and stores. Luck is with us."

"Maybe," said Sam, touching the wood of the table.