The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dialstone Lane, Part 2., by W.W. Jacobs

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Dialstone Lane, Part 2.

Author: W.W. Jacobs

Release Date: April 9, 2004 [EBook #11972]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIALSTONE LANE, PART 2. ***

Produced by David Widger

DIALSTONE LANE

By W.W. Jacobs

Part II.

CHAPTER V

Mr. Chalk's expedition to the Southern Seas became a standing joke with
the captain, and he waylaid him on several occasions to inquire into the
progress he was making, and to give him advice suitable for all known
emergencies at sea, together with a few that are unknown. Even Mr. Chalk
began to tire of his pleasantries, and, after listening to a surprising
account of a Scotch vessel which always sailed backwards when the men
whistled on Sundays, signified his displeasure by staying away from
Dialstone Lane for some time.

[Illustration: "He waylaid him on several occasions to inquire into the
progress he was making."]

Deprived of his society the captain consoled himself with that of Edward
Tredgold, a young man for whom he was beginning to entertain a strong
partiality, and whose observations of Binchester folk, flavoured with a
touch of good-natured malice, were a source of never-failing interest.

"He is very wide-awake," he said to his niece. "There isn't much that
escapes him."

Miss Drewitt, gazing idly out of window, said that she had not noticed
it.

"Very clever at his business, I understand," said the captain.

His niece said that he had always appeared to her--when she had happened
to give the matter a thought--as a picture of indolence.

"Ah! that's only his manner," replied the other, warmly. "He's a young
man that's going to get on; he's going to make his mark. His father's
got money, and he'll make more of it."

Something in the tone of his voice attracted his niece's attention, and
she looked at him sharply as an almost incredible suspicion as to the
motive of this conversation flashed on her.

"I don't like to see young men too fond of money," she observed,
sedately.

"I didn't say that," said the captain, eagerly. "If anything, he is too