e two days that elapsed between
their arrival and Flora's departure, devoting himself entirely to her.

But as soon as he had waved his last good-bye to her, he went to his
hotel and wrote a long letter to his father's lawyers, detailing at
length the events that had transpired subsequent to the wreck of the
_Golden Fleece_, including the discovery and appropriation of the
treasure, and of his intention to take it home in the cutter; leaving to
their discretion the decision whether or no they would communicate the
information to his father. And, thin done, he forthwith re-victualled
and re-watered the _Flora_, and cleared for Capetown, which was to be
his next port of call.

It was drawing on toward three o'clock in the afternoon of a glorious
spring day when the cutter-yacht _Flora_, from Funchal, homeward-bound,
came sliding unobtrusively into Weymouth harbour, where, having taken in
her thin and almost worn-out sails, she modestly moored among a number
of other yachts under the Nothe. Perhaps it was her somewhat dingy and
weatherworn appearance that caused her crew to avoid attracting to her
any unnecessary attention, or possibly it may have been some other
reason; at all events, to all inquisitive inquiries the bronzed and
bearded trio who manned her merely replied that they had "been cruising
to the south'ard." To the custom-house officers they had of course to
be a little more explicit; but even they were satisfied when, after a
careful search of the craft's tiny cabins and forecastle, they were
invited to sample a bottle of choice Madeira, on some four or five dozen
of which Leslie willingly paid duty. The next day her sails were unbent
and she was taken up the Backwater and laid up, in charge of Simpson;
and a month or two later her ballast was taken out of her and stowed
away in a shed under which she also was hauled up. A certain portion of
this ballast was soon afterwards packed up somewhat carefully and
conveyed to London by train; and eventually the little craft was sold.

Meanwhile, however, Leslie had despatched a wire to his father's
solicitors, announcing his arrival home; and that same evening he
received a reply requesting him to go to town and call at the office of
the senders on the following day without fail, as they had intelligence
of the utmost importance to communicate to him.

Of course he went; and upon his arrival was at once ushered into a
private room. There was but one individual