The Island of Captain Sparrow by S. Fowler Wright

Author:S. Fowler Wright
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: epubBooks Classics
Published: 2018-02-06T16:00:00+00:00

Had he doubted for a moment (which he would not own) the voice would have told him. And the song? Yes, he would dare. Very certainly, he would dare. But did it mean that she had seen him?

Chapter VI

The Reward of Pierre

The next hour went slowly for several of those whose fortunes we follow. Charlton had gained sufficient knowledge of the customs of these people to judge that they were on their way to the monthly feast, for which he had seen the meat provided on the previous day. He could not doubt, even without the evidence of the song, that Marcelle went unwillingly. He could not know the extremity or the urgency of her peril, but he was resolved to interrupt the proceedings, and to invite her to freedom. His reason told him that it would be best to let them settled down first before he intruded upon them, while his impatience denied it. His memory was not only of sea–blue eyes, or the defiant lift of a night–dark head. He had the vision also of one who had moved restlessly behind her. It was he whom he had seen club the panting satyr on the previous day, and then pull down the other for a facetious exchange of victims. Irked by the slow pace of the procession, he had been moving with long strides backwards and forwards behind her, his forward stoop and slouching motion showing him like a wolf that waits the moment to spring.

The time passed slowly for Charlton.

It passed slowly also for the priest of Gir, who sat in the feast–house, waiting for the drama to open, the event of which he already knew.

How did it pass for the satyr, trussed now and roasted whole, and steaming at the top of the board? If we knew that, how much also should we know, which is now hidden!

There was an appointed place for each in the feast–house. Jacob sat at the head, with Demers at his right hand.

At the head of each of the side–benches there sat a man to help with the carving. Below the man on the left the priest of Gir would sit, with his wife opposite to him, in the places of honor.

The priest of Gir and his wife always entered by a small side door at the top of the hall, on Jacob's left hand—a door that was reserved for their use.

This evening he came alone. He explained with brief courtesy to Jacob that his wife was ill. He did not say she was dead.

Jacob saw in this a convenience only. He gave her place to Marcelle.

The board was heaped with many fruits, and there were great vessels of the island wine.

Jacob and his son, with their two helpers, carved at different parts of the carcass, and the work of serving proceeded rapidly. The platters were green leaves, large and smooth and slightly concave These leaves were destroyed when the feast was over. In this they had only adopted a custom which is prevalent in the islands of the Pacific.

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