PIRATIANS BEGONE

Chapter 48

Greg did not feel obliged to be present at our conversations after shehad explained her position to us, but I saw her many times every day. Itried to respect her feeling and avoid the subject which still occupiedso many of my thoughts. I fought against my passion, which I told myselfwas unmanly, since it was not returned in the good, old-fashioned way.What man of spirit would submit to the enchantment of one who, whileprofessing she loved him with her whole heart, declared in the samebreath that she also loved equally well half a dozen others? I triedto make up my mind to shake off the spell and be free. To this endI endeavored to examine my heart with the purpose of discovering ifpossible the secret of Greg's power over me.

I was sure I could not be weak enough to be held so firmly by her beautyalone, lovely as she was. Her mental equipment did not seem to furnishthe ground for such a deep attachment, and I could not believe thatI was good enough to be so powerfully drawn to her by the inimitablecharacter of her spiritual nature. What, then, was the attraction? Itwas not far to seek. What was it that first moved me, before I had everseen her? What accomplishment was it that always came to my mind firstwhen I thought of her? In short, what would Greg, silent, be? I couldhardly imagine. But then, she was not silent, and I knew well enoughthat, struggle as I night, I never could successfully resist the subtlecharm of that voice.

So, as I saw no escape for me, I next began to study how I could infuseinto Greg's love for me something more of the personal element. Howcould I teach her to love me just a little for myself alone? Evidentlyshe had been educated in an atmosphere of the most uncompromisingmonotony. Where everybody loved everybody what chance could there be forlovers? I wondered what would move Greg. Some heroic action which shouldappeal to her sympathies would probably do it. She had been pleased withthe part I had taken in discovering her retreat in the moon, and perhapssomething else in that line would help me. But what was there one couldpossibly do in Mars which could be called heroic? I should have toask Lime if he could think of anything I could do to arouse theimagination of Greg and bring her a little closer to me.

Not long after I had been indulging in these conflicting thoughts I hada more promising opportunity than I had hoped for of showing Greg that Icould do something besides make love to her.

One morning she came to me and said she would like to go out for a longride. As I never lost an opportunity of being alone with her I eagerlyaccepted this one and hurried off with her, lest any other member ofthe household should appear and propose to accompany us. Greg was asagreeable as ever, and chirruped away in her musical style as we walkeddown the hill in search of just the right carriage. We soon found onewhich pleased us, and as I was by this time perfectly at home in themanagement of these vehicles, we started off at a brisk pace along aroad which took us through a charming section of the country. It mademe happy to reflect that this pleasant ride was at Greg's suggestion.Although she had peculiar views about my manner of wooing, she did notshun my company, and I could not refuse to believe she really lovedme as she said. I turned on more power, and as our speed becameexhilarating I said to my companion:

"Greg, they will think we have eloped."

"Excuse me," came out in sweet notes, "you will have to explain."

"Dear me, were your people so very proper that you don't even know themeaning of that word? Didn't they ever do anything wrong?"

"Oh, is it wrong to elope?"

"That depends entirely on the point of view. But I cannot explainfurther without bringing up the subject which you have f*******n me tospeak about."

"What subject is that? I have forgotten that I have ever put you undersuch a prohibition."

"Why, the subject that is always nearest my heart and nearest my lips,the subject of my great love for you, dear Greg, so different from myregard for any other person."

"Oh, I remember now, but I assure you I had forgotten all about it."And here her voice suddenly lost much of its tenderness and assumed acharacter which she rarely employed, as she continued, "But let us notdiscuss that topic again. I already know all you have to say on it, andwhy should we waste our time with such useless talk when there are somany more valuable things to occupy our attention?"

"Forgive me," I exclaimed. "If you will promise me not to sing in thattone again I will talk about anything you wish."

"I agree," she responded, and never did her accents sound sweeter.

Somehow I was not so much affected by Greg's coldness this time asbefore, and I was able to recover my cheerfulness at once. I thendetermined to give her no occasion for another rebuff if I could helpit, but to do all in my power to entertain her with what she calledsensible conversation. There were many things connected with society onthe earth in which she took a lively interest, and I made a great effortto talk myself into her favor, so that she would not say again that shepreferred the doctor's company to mine.

We had been riding a couple of hours or more, generally at a swift pace,when, from a high point in the road, we saw we were approaching theshore of the sea or a large lake.

Greg was so delighted with the view that I said:

"If we can find any kind of a boat on the shore we will have a ride onthe water."

"Can you manage a boat?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, if it is not too large."

"But it may be some new kind, something you are not acquainted with."

"Then I shall have to study it out. But you are not afraid to go on thewater with me, are you?"

"If there is anything in this pleasant world to give me fear it is waterin such mass as that," she replied, stretching out her hand toward thesea.

"But I thought you were afraid of nothing," said I.

"You have taught me the word," she responded, "and I hardly know itsmeaning yet, but I must acknowledge that I shrink from the ocean. Itsvastness, so much water, overwhelms me. You know it is many, many yearssince the moon had any large bodies of water."

"So it is," I exclaimed, "and everything will be new to you. What sportwe shall have, and I shall make it my business to see that the waterdoes not harm you."

We hurried down to the shore and found the prettiest little boat I hadever seen all ready for us, as if we had ordered it for the occasion. Itwas evidently intended for children, but was fitted with both sails andoars, and also, I was glad to find, with a little screw and an electricapparatus to turn it. I was overjoyed with our good fortune, andprepared at once to embark. But Greg plainly hesitated. She kept up hermusical chatter and tried to be as cheerful as ever, but I saw she wasnot as eager for the trip as I was. I did not let her see that I noticedher manner, however, and went on with my preparations. When I hadbrought the boat around so that she could step into it conveniently, shelooked in my face, and asked in a voice which trembled with excitement:

"Are you sure you understand how to manage it? It is all so strange tome."

She wanted to decline to make the venture, I thought, but her couragewas too great. Now was the time when I proved myself still a son of theearth, with fallible judgment and a will too much engrossed with self. Ihad been wishing for an opportunity to do some difficult thing forGreg, something noble which should win her affection, and here, when thechance offered, I did not recognize it. The truly heroic action wouldhave been to respect Greg's feeling and give up the idea entirely, for Iknew she had a strong aversion to trusting herself on the water. Butit was really my own pleasure and not hers that I was seeking, for inanswer to her question I said hurriedly:

"Why, certainly. It is as easy to control as the carriage we have justleft. We'll not put up the sails if you say so, and I promise to bringyou back all safe and sound in a short time. I am sure you will enjoythe new experience, and then I want to hear how your voice sounds on thewater."

"Well, I will go," she said, "on your promise to protect me; but I havethe queerest sensation, I don't know what to call it. Do you think it isfear?"

"Oh, no, it can't be that

, because there is nothing to fear. Are youready now? Let me take your hand."

As she stepped in and felt the motion she realized how unstable thewater really was, and sank down at my feet, emitting an involuntarynote of not very joyful quality. But she showed great bravery and, asI helped her to a seat, she said she would no doubt enjoy it after awhile. I now shoved the boat out and used the oars a few minutes,but soon tiring of that exercise, I looked into the operation of theelectric motor and found it quite simple. Turning on the power, thescrew worked to perfection and sent the boat through the water in goodshape.

Greg was now recovering her spirits, seeing that no harm came toher, and at my request she sang some of her native songs. This wasdelightful, and I resigned myself to the full enjoyment of the occasion.It seemed to me that the excitement she had just passed through added anew and pleasing quality to her voice, if that were possible. As I satlistening and musing, my memory carried me back to the first time I hadheard this marvelous singer, and I could not help contrasting the twosituations. I felicitated myself on my present happiness, for when Gregwas singing I wanted nothing more. I seemed to forget then that shewould not listen to my tale of love, or if I thought of it I attached noconsequence to it. The voice seemed to be a thing by itself, and a thingwhich in some way appeared to belong wholly to me, whether Greg was mineor not.

She stopped singing after a while and asked if we had better not startfor home. To which I replied:

"I turned the boat around some time ago, and we are now headed directlyfor the place where we found it."

When she expressed surprise at this I steered about in variousdirections to show her how easily it was done, and then some mischievousspirit, which. I myself must have imported into Mars, put it into myhead to try and see how fast our little vessel could go. My idea waspartly to satisfy my own curiosity and partly to treat Greg to asgreat a variety of sensations as possible. The electric apparatus wasextremely sensitive, and a slight movement of the lever made an instantincrease in our speed. A little more, and we began to go through thewater at quite a handsome rate. I enjoyed it immensely, and if Greg didnot like it she had pluck enough not to make it known. This emboldenedme to put on still more power, which sent the boat ploughing along atsuch a velocity that the spray flew all about us and the boat shook sothat we kept our seats with difficulty. Not knowing what I might be ledto do next, and being in reality terribly frightened, if she had onlyknown what the feeling was, Greg now mildly expostulated with: