His face blackened, and his fist banged the desk. "Aye; and but for him you'd have loved me. Loved me...."
"But 'twas true. I could see. You'd have loved me, Faith...."
"Dan'l," she said slowly, "I'm in no mind to talk so much of love, this night."
The man sat back in silence for a space, not looking at her; nor did she look at him. In the end, however, he shaped his words afresh. "Faith," he said softly, "we were boy and girl together, you and I. Grew up together, played together.... I loved you before you were more than a girl. Before you ever saw Noll Wing. Can you remember?"
He was striving with all his might to win her; and Faith said gently: "Yes, Dan'l. I remember."
"When I sailed away, last cruise but one, you kissed me, Faith. Do you mind?"
She looked at him in honest surprise. "I kissed you, Dan'l?"
She shook her head. "I don't remember ... at all."
If he had been wholly wise, he would have known that her not remembering was the end of him; but Dan'l in that moment was not even a little wise. He was playing for a big stake; Faith was never so lovely in his eyes; and there was desperation in him. He was blind with the heat of his own desire.... He cried now:
"You do remember. You're pretending, Faith. You could not forget. You loved me then; and, Faith, you love me now."
She shook her head. "No, Dan'l. Have done."
He leaned very close to her. "You do not know; you're not listening to your heart. I know more of your heart than you know, Faith...."
"No, no, no, Dan'l," she said insistently.
He flamed at her in sudden fury: "If it's not me, it's Brander.... Him that you...."
"Brander?" she cried, in a passion. "Brander? The thief that's lying now in the irons I put upon him? Him? Him you say I love?"
The very force of her anger should have told him the truth; but he was so blind that it served only to rejoice him. "I knew it," he cried. "I knew it. So you love me, Faith?..."
"Must a woman always be loving?" she demanded wearily.
"Aye, Faith. It's the nature of them.... Always to be loving.... Some one. With you, Faith, it's me. Listen and see...."
"Dan'l," she said steadily, "what's the end of all this? What's the end of it all? What would you have me do?"
"See the truth," he said. "Understand that the _Sally_ is lost.... Fast aground, here, to rot her bones away.... See that it's hopeless and wild to stick by her. We'll get out the boats. You and I and Roy and a man or two will take one; the others may have the other craft. It's not fifty miles to..."