was very still on board. Two men, conspicuous against the yellow sky,
stood apart, a little forward, with their backs turned to her.

One of these was Captain Jack, gazing steadily at the town through a
telescope; the other the mate. Both were silent. Silently herself and
unnoticed Molly went up and stood beside them; observing her sister's
lover as intently as he that unknown distant point, she presently saw
the lean hand nearest her tremble ever so slightly as it held the
glass; then he turned and handed it to his companion, saying briefly,
"See what you make of it."

The man lifted the glass, set it, looked, dropped his hand and faced
his captain. Their eyes met, but neither spoke for a second or two.

"It is so, then?" said the captain at last.

"Aye, sir, no mistake about that. There's the tricolour up again--and
be damned to it--as large as life, to be sure!"

The healthy tan of the captain's face had not altered by one shade;
his mouth was set in its usual firm line, but, by the intuition of her
fiery soul, the woman beside him knew that he had received a blow.

"A strange thing," went on Curwen in a grumbling guttural bass, "and
it's only a year ago since they set up the old white napkin again. You
did not look for this, sir?" He too had his intuitions.

"No, Curwen, it is the last thing I looked for. And it spells failure
to me--failure once more!"

As he spoke he turned his head slightly and perceiving Molly standing
close behind him glanced up sharply and frowned, then strove to smooth
his brow into conventional serenity and greeted her civilly.

Curwen, clenching his hard hands together round the telescope, retired
a step and stood apart, still hanging on his captain's every gesture
like a faithful dog.

"What does it mean?" asked Molly, disregarding the morning salutation.

"It means strange things to France," responded Captain Jack slowly,
with a bitter smile; "and to me, Madam, it means that I have come on a
wild goose chase----"

He stretched out his hand for the glass once more as he
spoke--although even by the naked eye the flag, minute as it was,
could be seen to flash red in the breeze--and sought the far-off
flutter again; and then closing the instrument with an angry snap,
tossed it back.

"But what does it mean?" reiterated Molly, a wild impatience, a wild
hope trembling in her breast.

"It means, Madam, that I have brought my pigs to the wrong market,"
cried Captain Jack, still