"
"I believe it," said the chairman, and then there were further
congratulations, with messages from members of my committee, but never a
word from my dear one.
Thinking the chairman might hesitate to speak of a private matter until
we were alone, I took him down to my state-room. But he had nothing to
say there, either, except about articles to be written, reports to be
compiled, and invitations to be accepted.
Several hours passed like this. We were again out at sea, and my longing
to know what had happened was consuming me, but I dared not ask from
fear of a bad answer.
Before the night was out, however, I had gone to work in a roundabout
way. Taking O'Sullivan into my confidence, I told him it had not been my
parents that I had been anxious about (God forgive me!), but somebody
else whom he had seen and spoken to.
"Do you mean Mal . . . I should say Lady . . ."
"Yes."
"By the holy saints, the way I was thinking that when I brought you the
letter at Port Said, and saw the clouds of heaven still hanging on you.
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