violently--"and therefore I have bought a steamer."

"You have done what?"

"At two o'clock to-day, in your absence, I bought the steam-yacht
_Rocket_, lately the property of Lord Wilmer, now the property of
Roderick Stewart, of the Hotel Columbia, London."

I think I must have laughed sorrowfully at him, as a man laughs at a
drawing-room humorist, for he continued quickly--

"Before we go on board her, the yacht will be re-christened by
Mary--who will stay with her dear maiden aunt in our absence--and will
be named after your vessel _Celsis_. Her crew will consist of our
silent friend, Captain York, of his brother as chief mate, and of your
men now at Portsmouth, with half a dozen more. We shall need eight
firemen, whom the agents will engage, and three engineers, already
found, for I have taken on Lord Wilmer's men. Your cook, old
'Cuss-a-lot,' will serve us very well during the fourteen or fifteen
days we shall need to go across the Atlantic, and we want now only a
second and third officer. As these men will be mixed up with us on the
quarter-deck, I have told the agents to send them up to see you
here--so you'll run your eye over them and tell me if they'll do. I
hate seeing people; they bore me, and I mean you to take the charge of
this enterprise from the very beginning--you quite understand?"

"Roderick, my old friend, I'm as blank as a drawing-board--would you
mind giving me that yarn from the beginning again--and tell me first,
why are we going; then, where are we going; and after that, what has
your steamer to do with the business of Martin Hall--and, well, and
what we know?"

He spoke quickly in answer, and seemed disappointed.

"I hate palaver," he said, "and didn't think to find you dense, but
you're growing silly at this business anyway. Now, look here; until you
read me that paper in your cabin, I don't know that I ever felt anger
against any man, but, before God, I'll bring the man who murdered
Martin Hall, and Heaven knows how many others, to justice or I'll never
know another hour's rest. You have been talking of Governments and
ship-owners for twenty-four hours; but what have Governments and
ship-owners to do with us? Is it money you want? Well, what's mine is
yours; and I'm worth two hundred and fifty thousand pounds if I'm worth
a shilling. Is it profit of a dead man's work you're after? Well then,
mark your man, learn all about him, run him to his hole; and then, when
other people besides y