III + 

He stood quite still, staring at the newssheet in his hand. Presently he folded it up neatly, laid it on a side table and rang the bell. In a few minutes a curt order given to the bellhop sent his secretary hurrying to him. + 

тАЬIтАЩve got an appointment at ten oтАЩclock I canтАЩt break. There are some things youтАЩve got to find out for me. Have the information ready for me when I return.тАЭ + 

He detailed the points succinctly. The fullest particulars as to the Resplendent were to be collected, and certain radios were to be sent off. + 

Sebastian telephoned himself to the hospital and warned them that no mention of the Resplendent disaster was to be made to the patient. He had a few words with Joe herself which he managed to make normal and commonplace. + 

He stopped at a florist to send her some flowers and then went off to embark on a long day of meetings and business appointments. It is to be doubted if anyone noticed that the great Sebastian Levinne was unlike himself in the smallest detail. He had never been more shrewd in driving a bargain and his power of getting his own way was never more in evidence. + 

It was six oтАЩclock when he returned to the Biltmore. + 

His secretary met him with all the information available. The survivors had been picked up by a Norwegian ship. They would be due in New York in three daysтАЩ time. + 

Sebastian nodded, his face unchanged. He gave further instructions. + 

On the evening of the third day following that, he returned to his hotel to be met by the information that Mr.┬аGroen had arrived and was installed in the suite adjoining his own. + 

Sebastian strode there. + 

Vernon was standing by the window. He turned round. Sebastian felt something like a shock. In some strange way, he no longer recognized his friend. Something had happened to him. + 

They stood staring at each other. Sebastian spoke first. He said the thing that all day had been present in his mind. + 

тАЬJaneтАЩs dead,тАЭ he said. + 

Vernon noddedтБатАФgravelyтБатАФunderstandingly. + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ he said quietly. тАЬJaneтАЩs deadтБатАФand I killed her.тАЭ + 

The old unemotional Sebastian revived and protested. + 

тАЬFor GodтАЩs sake, Vernon, donтАЩt take it like that. She came with youтБатАФnaturally. DonтАЩt be morbid about it.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou donтАЩt understand,тАЭ said Vernon. тАЬYou donтАЩt know what happened.тАЭ + 

He paused and then went on, speaking very quietly and collectedly. + 

тАЬI canтАЩt describe the thing. It happened quite suddenly, you knowтБатАФin the middle of the night. There was very little time. The boat heeled over, you know, at an appalling angle. The two of them came togetherтБатАФslippingтБатАФsliding down the deck. They couldnтАЩt save themselves.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat two?тАЭ + 

тАЬNell and Jane, of course.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhatтАЩs Nell got to do with it?тАЭ + 

тАЬShe was on board.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes. I didnтАЩt know. Jane and I were second-class, of course, and I donтАЩt think we ever glanced at a passenger list. Yes, Nell and George Chetwynd were on board. ThatтАЩs what IтАЩm telling you, if you wouldnтАЩt interrupt. It happenedтБатАФa sort of nightmareтБатАФno time for life boats or anything. I was hanging on to a stanchionтБатАФor whatever you call itтБатАФto save myself from falling into the sea. + 

тАЬAnd they came drifting along the deck, those two, right by meтБатАФslipping, slidingтБатАФfaster and fasterтБатАФand the sea waiting for them below. + 

тАЬIтАЩd no idea Nell was on board till I saw her drifting down to destruction, and crying out, тАШVernon!тАЩ + 

тАЬThere isnтАЩt time to think on these occasions, I tell you. One can just make an instinctive gesture. I could grab on to one or other of themтБатАФNell or Jane. I grabbed Nell and held her, held her like grim death.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd Jane?тАЭ + 

Vernon said quietly: + 

тАЬI can see her face still, looking at me as she wentтБатАФdown into that green swirlтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬMy God!тАЭ said Sebastian hoarsely. + 

Then suddenly his impassivity forsook him. His voice rang out bellowing like a bull. + 

тАЬYou saved Nell? You bloody fool! To save NellтБатАФand let Jane drown. Why, Nell isnтАЩt worth the tip of JaneтАЩs little finger. Damn you!тАЭ + 

тАЬI know that.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou know it? ThenтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬI tell you, it isnтАЩt what you knowтБатАФitтАЩs some blind instinct that takes hold of you.тАЭ + 

тАЬDamn you! Damn you!тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm damned all right. You neednтАЩt worry. I let Jane drownтБатАФand I love her.тАЭ + 

тАЬLove her?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, IтАЩve always loved her. I see that now. Always, from the beginning, I was afraid of herтБатАФbecause I loved her. I was a coward there, like everywhere elseтБатАФtrying to escape from reality. I fought against her. I was ashamed of the power she had over me. IтАЩve taken her through hell. + 

тАЬAnd now I want herтБатАФI want her. Oh! youтАЩll say thatтАЩs like me, to want a thing as soon as itтАЩs out of my reach. Perhaps itтАЩs trueтБатАФperhaps I am like that. + 

тАЬI only know that I love JaneтБатАФthat I love herтБатАФand that sheтАЩs gone from me forever.тАЭ + 

He sat down on a chair and said in his normal tone: тАЬI want to work. Get out of here, Sebastian, thereтАЩs a good fellow.тАЭ + 

тАЬMy God, Vernon, I didnтАЩt think I could ever hate youтБатАФтАЭ + 

Vernon repeated: тАЬI want to work.тАЭ + 

Sebastian turned on his heel and left the room. + 