al born enemy of an Englishman, it didn't seem
right that he should pretend to be such a friend of yourn."

"Why not, sir?" cried the doctor warmly.

"Now, none of that, doctor. I did warn you about not getting put out.
Don't you call me, _sir_, 'cause I don't like it."

"Look here, Captain Chubb," cried the doctor, "I am sure you mean well."

"Thankye, sir; I do."

"Then why have you taken this prejudice against the Count?"

"That's a straight question, sir. Now let me ask you one. What's he
doing here?"

"Upon some kind of research."

"Not him, sir! That's what he's told you, and it aren't honest. He's
carrying on a game of his own behind you; and the boy's as bad as the
old man."

"How dare you!" flashed out Rodd.

"Silence, Rodney!"

"I can't be silent, uncle. I won't stand here and listen to such an
outrageous charge against those two gentlemen. I don't know what has
come to Captain Chubb, but he ought to be made to apologise before he
leaves this place."

"Well, he aren't going to be made to, young pepper-caster," growled the
captain. "Honest men don't apologise for telling the truth, even if it
don't taste nice."

"Look here, Chubb," said the doctor, "we are having too many words.
Let's have a clear understanding about what you think."

"Right, sir. Let's get to the bottom of it at once. You want an
explanation. It's this now. I have been very suspicious from the
first. What about this 'ere Count and his son? First you knowed of 'em
was as they was prisoners at Dartmoor. Well, it sounds bad for a man to
be a prisoner, but as he was took in war that don't count for much, so
we'll let that go. Next thing is, you runs agen 'em at Havre, cutting
their cable and running for it when Government gives orders for them to
stop. Next thing is, they boards our schooner like a set of pirates,
only we seem too many for them; and then they cackles up a cock-and-bull
story about wanting help, when they see they couldn't seize the
schooner."

"Look here, Captain Chubb--" began the doctor.

"Give me my chance, sir, and let me finish, and then have your say.
Help they had, and plenty on it, and I will say that a nicer, more
gentlemanly-tongued chap than the Count I never met, nor had to do with
a pleasanter nor nicer young fellow than his son."

"Thank you," said Rodd sarcastically.

"Now, don't you sneer, youngster," growled the captain, "for it aren't
clever, nor it aren't nice. Well, now