The skipper's two men, who had been lying fast asleep below deck in the cutter, were considerably astonished and certainly far from pleased at the idea of the nocturnal passage.But a few words from the skipper in a language unintelligible to Edith speedily removed their discontent.They now readily set to work to set sail and weigh anchor.The skipper's powerful hands grasped the helm; the small, strongly-built vessel tacked a little and then, heeling over, shot out into the darkness.
It passed close by the Gefion, and had it by accident been shown up by the electric light which from time to time searched the disturbed surface of the water, the nocturnal trip would in any case have experienced a very disagreeable interruption.But chance favoured the rash undertaking.No signal was made, no shout raised from the guardship, and the lights of Flushing were soon lost in the darkness.
Since the start Edith had been standing by the mast, looking fixedly backwards to the place where she was leaving everything which had hitherto given all its value and meaning to her life.
The skipper and his two men, whom the varying winds kept fully occupied with their sails, did not seem to trouble about her, and it was not till a suddenly violent squall came on that Van dem Bosch shouted to her that she had better go below, where she would at least be protected against the wind and weather.
But Edith did not stir.For her mind, racked by all the torments of infinite despair, the raging of the storm, the noise of the rain rattling down, and the hissing splash of the waves as they dashed against the planks of the boat, made just the right music.The tumult of the night around her harmonised so exactly with the tumult within her that she almost felt it a relief.The close confinement of a low cabin would have been unbearable.She could only hold out by drinking in deep draughts of air saturated with the briny odour of the sea, and by exposing her face to the storm, the rain, and the foam of the waves.It was a kind of physical struggle with the brute forces of Nature, and its stirring effect upon her nerves acted as a tonic to a mind lacerated with sorrow.
She had no thought for time or space.Only the hurricane-like rising of the storm, the increasingly violent breaking of the waves, and the wilder rocking of the boat, told her that she must be on the open sea.In spite of her oilskin cape, she was completely wet through, and a chill, which gradually spread over her whole body from below, numbed her limbs.Nevertheless, she never for a moment thought of retiring below.She had no idea of danger.She heard the sailors cursing, and twice the skipper's voice struck her ears, uttering what seemed to be an imperious command.But she did not trouble herself about this.As if already set free from everything earthly, she remained completely indifferent to everything that was going on around her.The more insensible her body became, paralysed by the penetrating damp and chill, the more indefinite and dreamlike became all the impressions of her senses.She seemed to have lost all foothold, to be flying on the wings of the storm, free from all restrictions of corporeal gravity, through unlimited space.All the rushing, howling, rattling, and splashing of the unchained elements seemed to her to unite in one monotonous, majestic roar, which had no terrors for her, but a wonderfully soothing influence.As her senses slowly failed, the tumult became a lofty harmony; she felt so entirely one with mighty, all-powerful Nature that the last feeling of which she was conscious was a fervent, ardent longing to dissolve in this mighty Nature, like one of the innumerable waves, whose foam wetted her feet in passing.
.......
A loud sound, like the sharp report of a gun, was heard above the confusion of noises--a loud crash--some wild curses from rough sailors' throats! The boat suddenly danced and tossed upon the waves like a piece of cork, while the big sail flapped in the wind as if it would be torn the next minute into a thousand pieces.
The peak-halyard was broken, and the gaff, deprived of its hold, struck with fearful force downwards.With all the might of his arms, strong as those of a giant, the skipper pulled at the helm to bring the vessel to the wind.The two other men worked desperately to make the sail fast.
In these moments of supreme danger none of the three gave a thought to the disguised woman in the oilskin cape, who had stood so long motionless as a statue by the mast.Not till their difficult task was successfully finished did they notice that she had disappeared.
They looked at each other with troubled faces.The skipper at the helm said--"She has gone overboard.The gaff must have hit her on the head.
There is no more to be done.Why would she stay on deck?"He cleared his throat and spat into the sea, after the fashion of sailors.
The other two said nothing.Silently they obeyed the orders of the skipper, who made for the mouth of the Schelde again.
They made no attempt to save her.It would have been a useless task.
