eg your pardon, I am sure. Huish and not Whish; certainly," said
Attwater. "I was about to say that I have still eight dozen," he added,
fixing the captain with his eye.

"Eight dozen what?" said Davis.

"Sherry," was the reply. "Eight dozen excellent sherry. Why, it seems
almost worth it in itself--to a man fond of wine."

The ambiguous words struck home to guilty consciences, and Huish and the
captain sat up in their places and regarded him with a scare.

"Worth what?" said Davis.

"A hundred and twelve shillings," replied Attwater.

The captain breathed hard for a moment. He reached out far and wide to
find any coherency in these remarks; then, with a great effort, changed
the subject.

"I allow we are about the first white men upon this island, sir," said
he.

Attwater followed him at once, and with entire gravity, to the new
ground. "Myself and Dr. Symonds excepted, I should say the only ones,"
he returned. "And yet who can tell? In the course of the ages some one
may have lived here, and we sometimes think that some one must. The
coco-palms grow all round the island, which is scarce like nature's
planting. We found besides, when we landed, an unmistakable cairn upon
the beach; use unknown; but probably erected in the hope of gratifying
some mumbo-jumbo whose very name is forgotten, by some thick-witted
gentry whose very bones are lost. Then the island (witness the
Directory) has been twice reported; and since my tenancy, we have had
two wrecks, both derelict. The rest is conjecture."

"Dr. Symonds is your partner, I guess?" said Davis.

"A dear fellow, Symonds! How he would regret it, if he knew you had been
here!" said Attwater.

"'E's on the _Trinity 'All_, ain't he?" asked Huish.

"And if you could tell me where the _Trinity 'All_ was, you would confer
a favour, Mr. Whish!" was the reply.

"I suppose she has a native crew?" said Davis.

"Since the secret has been kept ten years, one would suppose she had,"
replied Attwater.

"Well, now, see 'ere!" said Huish. "You have everythink about you in no
end style, and no mistake, but I tell you it wouldn't do for me. Too
much of 'the old rustic bridge by the mill'; too retired by 'alf. Give
me the sound of Bow Bells!"

"You must not think it was always so," replied Attwater. "This was once
a busy shore, although now, hark! you can hear the solitude. I find it
stimulating. And talking of the sound of bells, kindly follow a little
experiment of mine