ry you have stopped so soon; I never heard
anything more beautiful! The door was ajar, and I crept in like a cat,
not to disturb you."

Still in doubt, but with his fine air of courtesy, the light-keeper
advanced towards the uninvited guest.

"Am I mistaken," he said, with some hesitation, "surely this is Hubert
Cochrane's voice?"

"Jack Smith's voice, my dear fellow; Jack Smith, at your service,
please to remember," answered the visitor, with a genial ring of
laughter in his words. "Not that it matters much here, I suppose! Had
I not heard the peal of your organ I should have thought Scarthey
deserted indeed. I could find no groom of the chambers to announce me
in due form."

As he spoke, the two had drawn near each other and clasped hands
heartily.

"Now, to think of your knowing my voice in this manner! You have a
devilish knack of spotting your man, Sir Adrian. It is almost four
years since I was here last, is it not?"

"Four years?--so it is; and four years that have done well by you, it
would appear. What a picture of strength and lustiness! It really
seems to regenerate one, and put heart of grace in one, only to take
you by the hand.--Welcome, Captain Smith!"

Nothing could have more succinctly described the outer man of him who
chose to be known by that most nondescript of patronymics. Sir Adrian
stood for a moment, contemplating, with glances of approval such as he
seldom bestowed on his fellow-man, the symmetrical, slender, yet
vigorous figure of his friend, and responding with an unwonted
cheerfulness to the smile that lit up the steel-blue eyes, and parted
the shapely, strong, and good-humoured mouth of the privateersman.

"Dear me, and what a buck we have become!" continued the baronet,
"what splendid plumage! It is good to see you so prosperous. And so
this is the latest fashion? No doubt it sets forth the frame of a
goodly man, though no one could guess at the 'sea dog' beneath such a
set of garments. I used to consider my brother Rupert the most
especial dandy I had ever seen; but that, evidently, was my limited
experience: even Rupert cannot display so perfect a fit in
bottle-green coats, so faultless a silken stock, buckskins of such
matchless drab!"

Captain Jack laughed, blushed slightly under the friendly banter, and
allowed himself to be thrust back into the seat he had just vacated.

"Welcome again, on my lonely estate. I hope this is not to be a mere
flying visit? You know my misan