CHAPTER IX

MARTIA

In the train the purchaser of the _Lorna Doone_ began to have misgivings. He had agreed to pay seven hundred pounds for the boat, and now, away from the small-yacht atmosphere of Poole, and beyond the magnetism of Hackett, the amount seemed enormous and out of all proportion to the size of the purchase.

Seven hundred pounds, and that was only the start, the first day's work, so to speak. Almost a third of the money at his disposal gone at one blow. What would Behrens say?

At Victoria he took a taxi and drove to Museum Street, where he found the art-dealer in his shop looking over a case of Cosway miniatures he had just purchased.

"Good-day," said the old man as Bobby came towards him past the show-case and suits of armour. "Come and look at my beauties. Seventeen hundred pounds they have cost me. Well, what news of our expedition?"

"It has cost you seven hundred already," said Bobby, "but I believe the thing is half done."

Then he told.

Behrens did not seem at all alarmed at the tale.

"This Mr. Hackett is an expert in his way?" said he.

"The best man in England," replied Bobby.

"Well, there you are. You have begun well by choosing a good man. Napoleon's battles were all won, not by Napoleon, but by the men he chose to win them. This Mr. Hackett, you say, will choose your crew and your captain? That is as it should be. And when do you think you can get away?"

"Hackett said we ought to be out in a fortnight."

"That is better still. You have done well. And do not trouble too much about the expense. The boat will be insured, and on her return she will be saleable. I do not know anything of boats, but I do of prices in general, and I reckon she will sell for half what she cost."

"Oh, more than that."

"No matter. I put it at half. So already we have spent only three hundred and fifty pounds. Now to another matter. I have seen our friend Miss Hare."

"Yes?"

"She called upon me yesterday. As I told you, I have known her from childhood. She is a good girl. Good in all ways. Did you know that she was engaged to Isaac?"

"To your son?"

"Yes, to my son. He who discovered Hyalos, and for whose sake and to whose memory I am financing this expedition. I speak sentimentally. I hope to make a large profit out of it for myself and for you, but in my heart of hearts the memory of my Isaac stirs and gives colour to the whole thing. He so wished that I should profit from it."

The old man leaned on the case of cameos and seemed for a moment to forget his hearer, who stood without speaking, scarcely heeding the naïve confession about profit, engrossed by this new fact.

Martia Hare had been engaged to Isaac Behrens; had loved him, without doubt, and without doubt loved him still.

He knew now the reason of the far-away look of sadness that had come into her face when she told him about the death of Isaac.

It was as though a ghost had suddenly come between himself and this girl who had been living in his thoughts ever since he first met her. She had been one of his chief inspirations in this business, she had got into his heart, but he had not known how much he really cared for her till now.

"She called on me yesterday," went on Behrens, knowing nothing of what was passing in the other's mind, "she told me you had asked her to join in this expedition and that she had told you it was impossible, that she could not by any means leave her work. Then as she told me that she began to cry. Women are women. I said to her, 'Martia, you want to go with this expedition to Hyalos to see the wonder that poor Isaac discovered and on which he set his heart'; she said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'You shall go, work or no work, you shall go even if I have to pay Miss Beaman, your partner, for any loss that may be sustained by the business during your absence. But there will be no loss. I am an old business man and I know that businesses have a habit of carrying on, even though one of the partners be taken away. You shall see Isaac's city.' Women are strange people. It was the one desire of her heart to go, yet she fought against the idea till I prevailed. I called a cab, and leaving this place in charge of my man I took her to Miss Beaman, who made no difficulty about the matter. Indeed she was entirely with me. So the thing is settled, if you think the boat you have chosen will not expose her to too great hardships."

"I had her in mind when I was looking over the boat," said Bobby. "I had made her promise to think about coming with us. The boat is all right, there is plenty of accommodation, and an after-cabin she can have. When I asked her, one of the things that prompted me was the fact that she was looking dog-tired and in need of a change. Of course, I have only known her a short time, but that was how it seemed to me. She's one of the people who work themselves to death, and she's one of the people who were made, it seems to me, for the open air, not a stuffy office. Of course, the _Lorna Doone_ is small, but Hackett says she's safe, and that one could go round the world in her. But I can explain all that to Miss Hare, and I will call on her to-morrow, first thing."

"Do so," said Behrens, "and let me know all about it. Now to business. I will send that cheque to-night to your friend Hackett. The purchase papers will be made out in my name. It is just as well. And you? Have you enough money to carry on with?"

"Plenty."

"You will keep an account of your expenses and let me have the bill?"

"Yes."

"Then," said Behrens, "that closes the matter for the present. Keep me informed how things go from day to day. I am always in at night, and there is always a cup of coffee awaiting you."

Then Bobby found himself in the street.

It was ten minutes to three. He had plenty of time to reach White Lion Court and see Martia before the office closed. But something held him back--the idea of Isaac Behrens.

His feeling towards Martia had not altered, but something had pushed her away from him ever so little. He wanted time to accommodate himself to the new fact that she had been in love with another man, that she loved his memory still, and that if she went on this expedition her main reason for going would be to visit the place Isaac had discovered and to help in realising his dream.

You cannot be jealous of a dead man; yet a dead man may stand between you and the woman you care for.

Bobby understood this fact for the first time in his life as he came along New Oxford Street, making towards Oxford Circus. By the time he reached the Circus his mind had settled down and become clear. His plan was made. He would dismiss from his thoughts all things other than the expedition and its needs till the affair was over. Martia was coming with him; well and good. She would be one of the party, nothing more. Love had nothing to do with a business like this. It had to be cut clean out. After everything was over things might be different, but, till everything was over and success grasped, hard work would be the order of the day. Hard work, attention to detail, watchfulness, and unswerving determination--those were the four essentials.