He ain't no
foreigner; whereas you, with your baron, you don't know what's before
you--or, rather, being a woman, you know only too well. Much better
not to wait for the chuck. Pile in with us and get your share--of the
plunder, I mean. You have some notion about it already."
She felt that if she as much as hinted by word or sign that there was no
such thing on the island, Heyst's life wouldn't be worth half an hour's
purchase; but all power of combining words had vanished in the tension
of her mind. Words themselves were too difficult to think of--all except
the word "yes," the saving word! She whispered it with not a feature of
her face moving. To Ricardo the faint and concise sound proved a cool,
reserved assent, more worth having from that amazing mistress of herself
than a thousand words from any other woman. He thought with exultation
that he had come upon one in a million--in ten millions! His whisper
became frankly entreating.
"That's good! Now all you've got to do is to make sure where he keeps
his swag. Only do be quick about it! I can't stand much longer this
crawling-on-the-stomach business so as not to scare your gentleman. What
do you think a fellow is--a reptile?"
She stared without seeing anyone, as a person in the night sits staring
and listening to deadly sounds, to evil incantations. And always in her
head there was that tension of the mind trying to get hold of something,
of a saving idea which seemed to be so near and could not be captured.
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