own. And I'm worth ten million francs. And if the fat's in
the fire, and anything is found out, and people don't like it--well, they
must do the other thing."

Thus she went on deck, and her courage was rewarded by the discovery of a
chair on the starboard side of the deck-house, from which she could not
possibly be seen by any persons on the Hard. She took this chair like a
gift from heaven. The deck was busy enough. Mr. Price, the secretary, was
making entries in an account book. Dr. Cromarty was pacing to and fro,
expectant. Captain Wyatt was arguing with the chauffeur of a vast motor-van
from Clacton, and another motor-van from Colchester was also present on the
Hard. Rows of paraffin cans were ranged against the engine-room hatchway,
and the odour of paraffin was powerfully conflicting with the odour of
ozone and possibly ammonia from the marshes. Parcels kept coming down by
hand from the village of Moze. Fresh water also came in barrels on a lorry,
and lumps of ice in a dog-cart. The arrival of six bottles of aspirin,
brought by a heated boy on a bicycle, from Clacton, and seized with gusto
by Dr. Cromarty, completed the proof that money will not only buy anything,
but will infallibly draw it to any desired spot, however out of the way the
spot may be. The probability was that neither paraffin nor ice nor aspirin
had ever found itself on Lousey Hard before in the annals of the world. Yet
now these things forgathered with ease and naturalness owing to the magic
of the word "yacht" in telegrams.

And over the scene floated the wavy, inspiring folds of the yacht's immense
blue ensign, with the Union Jack in the top inside corner.

Mr. Price went into the deck-house and began to count money.

"Mr. Price," demanded Mr. Gilman urgently, "did you look up the facts about
this village?"

"I was just looking up the place in 'East Coast Tours,' sir, when the
paraffin arrived," replied Mr. Price. "It says that Moze is mentioned in
'Green's Short History of the English People.'"

"Ah! Very interesting. That work is a classic. It really treats of the
English people, and not solely of their kings and queens. Dr. Cromarty, Mr.
Price is busy, will you mind bringing me the catalogue of the library up
here?"

Dr. Cromarty obeyed, and Mr. Gilman examined the typewritten, calf-bound
volume.

"Yes," said he. "Yes. I thought we had Green on board, and we have. I
should like extremely to know what Green says about Moze. It must h