to me that one of his stewards saw you drop a small weighted object
overboard. He has asked me to interrogate you, instead of doing it
himself, so that you may have the chance to defend yourself in English,
which he doesn't speak."

"_E vero_. It ees the truth," confirmed the captain of the _Re
d'Italia_--the one remark, by the way, that he ever addressed to me.

"Well?" It was the Englishman's cold voice. "We are waiting, Mr. Bayne!
What was this object you were so anxious to dispose of? A message from
some confederate, too compromising to keep?"

Heretofore I had carefully avoided looking at Miss Falconer, but at this
point, turning my head a trifle, I gave her a casual glance. Her eyes
had blackened as they had done that night on the deck; her face had
paled, and her breath was coming fast. But as I looked, her gaze fell,
and her lashes wavered; and I knew that whatever came she did not mean
to speak.



CHAPTER VII

THE TIGHTENING WEB

I did not, of course, want her to. I was no "Injun giver," and having
once pledged my word to help her, I was prepared to keep it till all was
blue or any other final shade. Still, it was not to be denied that
my position looked incriminating. She might be as honest as the
daylight,--I believed she was; I had to or else abandon her,--but she