For the _Lithuania_ was lagging.
She might have been doing it on purpose to ruin him. Every day, in the
auction-pool on the ship's run, it was the holder of the lower field
that pocketed the money of his fellow-men. The _Lithuania_ actually
descended below five hundred and forty knots in the twenty-four hours.
And no authoritative explanation of this behaviour was ever given.
Upon leaving New York there had been talk of reaching Fishguard on
Saturday evening. But now the prophesied moment of arrival had been
put forward to noon on Sunday. Edward Henry's sole consolation was
that each day on the eastward trip consisted of only twenty-three
hours.
Further, he was by no means free from apprehension about the personal
liberty of Isabel Joy. Isabel had exceeded the programme arranged
between them. It had been no part of his scheme that she should cast
plates, nor even break violins on the shining crown of an august
purser. The purser was angry, and he had the captain, a milder man,
behind him. When Isabel Joy threatened a hunger-strike if she was not
immediately released, the purser signified that she might proceed with
her hunger-strike; he well knew that it would be impossible for her to
expire of inanition before the arrival at Fishguard.
The case was serious, because Isabel Joy had created a precedent.
Policemen and Cabinet Ministers had for many months been regarded
as the lawful prey of militants, but Isabel Joy was the first of the
militants to damage property and heads which belonged to persons
of neither of those classes.
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