The Magic of Two Hearts

Episode 5

”The piano began to play again in the bar, and the young people, still squabbling archly, at length, prepared to depart.

Suddenly there was a stir upon the bridge, and against the tender sky Holmes saw a man dash forward. The next instant, the engine-room bell rang fiercely. He knew the signal—it was “Stop,” followed at once by other ringings that meant “Full speed astern.”

“I wonder what is going on?” said the young man to the young woman.

Before the words had left his lips they knew. There was a sensation as though all the hull of the great ship had come to a complete standstill, while the top part of her continued to travel forward; followed by another sensation still more terrible and sickening in its nature—that of slipping over something, helplessly, heavily, as a man slips upon ice or a polished floor. Spars cracked, ropes flew in two with a noise as of pistol shots. Heavy objects rushed about the deck, traveling forwards all of them. Agnes was hurled from her chair against Holmes so that the two of them rolled into the scuppers. He was unhurt and picked himself up, but she lay still, and he saw that something had struck her on the head, for blood was running down her cheek. He lifted her, and, filled with horror and despair—for he thought she had gone—pressed his hand upon her heart. Thank God! It began to beat again—she still lives.

The music in the bar had stopped, and for a little while there was silence. Then of an instant there arose the horrible clamor of shipwreck; wild-eyed people rushed to and fro aimlessly; here and there women and children shrieked; a clergyperson fell upon his knees and began to pray.

This went on for a while, till the second officer appeared and, showing no concerns, called out that it was all right. The captain said no one was to be afraid. He added that they were not more than six miles from the shore, and that the ship would dock in half an hour. Indeed, as he spoke, the engines, which had been stopped, commenced to work again, and her head swung round in a wide circle, pointing to the land. Evidently they had passed over the rock and were once more in deep water, through which they traveled at a good speed but with a heavy list to starboard. The pumps got to work also with a monotonous, clanging beat, throwing out great columns of foaming water on to the oily sea. Men began to cut the covers off the boats, and to swing some of them outboard. Such were the things that went on with.

With the unconscious Agnes clasped to his chest, the blood from her cut head running down his shoulder, Holmes stood still awhile, thinking. Then he made up his mind. As it stands, she had a deck cabin, and swiftly he forced his way, carrying her tenderly and with patience through the distracted throngs of passengers, for there were five hundred people on board that ship. He reached the place to find that it was quite empty, her cabin-mate having fled. Laying Agnes in the lower bunk, he lit the swinging candle. As soon as it lit up, he searched for the life-jackets and by good luck found two of them, one of which, not without great difficulty, he succeeded in fastening round her. Then he took a sponge and bathed her head with water. There was a great bruise upon her head where the block or whatever it was had struck her, and the blood still flowed; but the wound was not very deep or extensive, nor, so far as he could discover, did the bone appear to be broken or driven in. He had good hope that she was only stunned, and would revive soon. Unable to do more for her, a thought struck him. On the floor of the cabin, thrown by the shock from the rack, lay her writing case. He opened it, and took a piece of paper and wrote these words hurriedly in pencil:

“You gave me no answer, and it is more than probable that I shall receive none in this world which one or both of us may be upon the verge of leaving. In the latter case, we can settle the matter elsewhere—perhaps. In the former, should it be my lot to go and yours to stay, I hope that you will think kindly of me at times as of one who loved you truly. Should it be yours to go, then you will never read these words. Yet if the dead is given knowledge, be assured that as you left me, so you shall find me, yours and yours alone. Or perhaps we both may live; I pray so.—A.H.”

Folding up the paper, he undid a button on Benita’s blouse and thrust it away there, knowing that thus she would certainly find it should she survive. Then he stepped out on to the deck to see what was happening. The vessel still steamed, but made slow progress; moreover, the list to starboard was now so pronounced that it was difficult to stand upright. On account of this, nearly all the passengers were huddled together upon the port side, having instinctively taken refuge as far as possible above the water. A man with a white, distraught face staggered towards him, supporting himself by the bulwarks. It was the captain. For a moment he paused as though to think, holding onto a stanchion. Anthony Holmes saw this opportunity and addressed him.

“Forgive me,” he said; “I do not like interfering with other people’s business, but for reasons unconnected with myself, I suggest to you that it would be wise to stop this ship and get the boats released. The sea is calm; if it is not left till too late there should be no difficulty in launching them.”

The man stared at him absently, then said:

“They won’t hold everybody," Mr. Holmes.”

“At least they will hold some,” he answered, “whereas——” And he pointed to the water, which by now was almost level with the deck.

“Perhaps you are right, Mr. Holmes. It doesn’t matter to me, anyway. "I am a ruined man; but the poor passengers—the poor passengers!” And he scrambled away fiercely towards the bridge like a wounded cat along the bough of a tree, whence in a few seconds, Holmes heard him shouting orders.

A minute or so afterward, the steamer stopped. Too late the captain had decided to sacrifice his ship and save those she carried. They were beginning to get the boats out. Now Holmes returned to the cabin where Agnes was lying unconsciously, and wrapped her up in a cloak and some blankets. Then, seeing the second life-jacket on the floor, by an afterthought, he put it on, knowing that there was time to spare. Next he lifted Agnes, and feeling sure that the rush would be for the starboard side, on which the boats were quite near the water, carried her, with difficulty, for the slope was steep, to the port-cutter, which he knew the second officer, who was a good man, would be in charge, whom he had seen in command there at Sunday boat-drills.

Here, as he had anticipated, the crowd was small, since most people thought that it would not be possible to get this boat down safely to the water; or if their powers of reflection were gone, instinct told them so. That skillful seaman, the second officer, and his appointed crew, were already at work lowering the ropes from the hook.

“Now,” he said, “women and children first.” A number rushed in, and Holmes saw that the boat would soon be full. “I am afraid,” he said, “that I must count myself a woman as I carry one,” and by great effort, holding Agnes with one arm, with the other he let himself down the falls and, assisted by a quartermaster, got into the boat safely.

One or two other men scrambled after him.

“Push her off,” said the officer; “she can hold no more,” and the ropes were letting go.