tish Museum, consulted every Directory in existence, hunted up
every widow of the name of Langley in the kingdom, and found the right
one at last, not three miles distant from his own door in London.
Captain Rik, it must be known, had a room in London furnished like a
cabin, which he was wont to refer to as his "ship" and his "bunk," but
he paid that retreat only occasional visits, finding it more agreeable
to live with his brother.

It was a fine Sabbath morning when Rik took Letta's hand and led her
into the presence of her mother. He would not let himself be announced,
but pushed the child into the drawing-room and shut the door.

With similar delicacy of feeling we now draw a curtain over the meeting
of the mother and the long-lost child.

"It's almost too much for me, tough old sea-dog though I am, this
perpetual cruisin' about after strange runaway craft," said uncle Rik,
as he and Letta walked hand in hand along the streets one day some weeks
later. "Here have I been beatin' about for I don't know how long, and
I'm only in the middle of it yet. We expect the Fairy Queen in port
to-night or to-morrow."

"But you won't hurt poor Stumps when you catch him, will you?" pleaded
Letta, looking earnestly up into her companion's jovial face. "He was
very nice and kind to me, you know, on Pirate Island."

"No, I'll not hurt him, little old woman," said Rik. "Indeed, I don't
know yet for certain that Stumps _is_ a thief; it may be Shunks or it
may be Gibson, you see, who is the thief. However, we'll find out
before long. Now then, good-bye, I'll be back soon."

He shook hands with Letta at Mr Wright's house, she and her mother
having agreed to reside there until Robin's return home.

Wending his way through the streets until he reached one of the great
arteries of the metropolis, he got into a 'bus and soon found himself on
the banks of the Thames. Arrived at the docks, one of the first vessels
his eyes fell on was the Fairy Queen.

Going on board, the first man he met was the captain, to whom he said,
touching his hat--

"Excuse me, captain; may I ask if you have a man in your crew named
Stumps?"

"No, sir, no such name on my books."

"Nor one named Shunks?"

"No, not even Shunks," replied the captain, with a sternly-humorous
look, as if he thought the visitor were jesting.

"Nor Gibson?" continued Rik.

"Yes, I've got one named Gibson. What d'ye want with him?"

"Well, I have reason to believe