Where was Alaya?--Crouched in the verandah under the captain sahib's window, and crying quietly for "love of the beautiful one, who kissed her, and made her heart beat so; the handsome sahib who took such notice of poor little Alaya. Now he was sick and might die. Oh, sad! and his slave not near him. Would she could creep between the jalousies, and crouch at the foot of his bed. She could see his eyes now, they were--"
"Alaya!" cried her mother, "where are you? Come, my child, there's no more fanning to do to-night; go to your mat."
So the little half-caste retired to rest, or rather curled herself up on her mat, and wept until morning broke.
Before sunrise Jerry was up and stirring. After a search he secured his clothes, and was quite ready to leave the bungalow, but he still crept about the passages, candle in hand. Did he want to say good-bye to his kind host? No. Was it a soda and brandy he required? No. As he explored the matted corridors, he murmured, "I wish to goodness I could find out if Alayer's about, I would so like to apologize to her for my rudeness."
However, not finding her, he left the house, managing to get away without observation.
Thompson walked down to the hotel, changed his clothes, packed Puffeigh's up with the pines in a basket, placed a bottle of grog under all, and taking a shore boat, made the best of his way on board his ship.
Crushe was walking the quarter-deck, when the coxswain reported himself as having "come aboard."
"Why were you not back last night?" demanded the angry first lieutenant.
"I was huntin' ov your pines, sir; they were werry scarce, and I came off the moment I got 'em."
"That will do, you brute; you have the best of me this time," said Crushe, with a grin.
So Jerry got the better of Puffeigh, Oldcrackle, and Crushe, and not one pang of remorse ever seemed to trouble him with regard to Alaya. Perhaps we do not know what he felt. She certainly was too good for the fellow they married her to very shortly afterwards, and to this day Alaya dreams of the "beautiful captain sahib," who made her heart beat so.
The Stinger sailed at 9 A.M., and Oldcrackle never saw his real cousin. When Puffeigh was on his way back to England he only remained at Singapore an hour; and not having much regard for his wife's relation, he did not call upon the hospitable merchant, so the fraud was never discovered.