He was selling Clovelly's number, and had advanced it beyond the
novelist's own bidding, when suddenly the screw stopped, the engines
ceased working, and the 'Fulvia' slowed down.
The numbers remained unsold. Word came to us that an accident had
happened to the machinery, and that we should be hove-to for a day, or
longer, to accomplish necessary repairs. How serious the accident to the
machinery was no one knew.
CHAPTER V
ACCUSING FACES
While we were hove-to, the 'Porcupine' passed us. In all probability it
would now get to Aden ahead of us; and herein lay a development of the
history of Mrs. Falchion. I was standing beside Belle Treherne as the
ship came within hail of us and signalled to see what was the matter.
Mrs. Falchion was not far from us. She was looking intently at the vessel
through marine-glasses, and she did not put them down until it had
passed. Then she turned away with an abstracted light in her eyes and a
wintry smile; and the look and the smile continued when she sat down in
her deck-chair and leaned her cheek meditatively on the marine-glass. But
I saw now that something was added to the expression of her face--a
suggestion of brooding or wonder.
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