aste. He, however, made up his mind in the first instance to go
to London, that he might make inquiries as to the fate of the "Venus."
If she had left the West Indies, and had not since been heard of, or if
it was supposed that she had been cast away, he would then have very
little doubt of her being the ship of which Giles Dainsforth spoke; but
if, on the contrary, she had returned to England, or been sent to some
other station, he would then only suppose that the wreck alluded to in
the letter must be that of another ship, and thus proceeding to
Pennsylvania would in no way forward the great object he had in view.
Mr Gournay having fully agreed with him in the wisdom of his plans,
after he had bidden farewell to Monsieur and Madame de Mertens, he set
off on his visit to London.

Jack felt very differently from what he did before on his first visit to
the metropolis in company with Long Sam. He was now a captain in the
navy, with an honourable name, and money in his pocket. On going to the
Admiralty, however, he could gain no satisfactory information regarding
the "Venus" or Captain Davis. One of the clerks told him that he
believed she was still in the West Indies. Another that she had been
captured by the enemy. A third, of whom in his despair he made further
inquiries, told him that she had been sunk; and another, that she was on
her passage home. He had just left the office, and was taking his way
disconsolately along the street, when he met an old shipmate.

"My dear fellow," he exclaimed, "you did not employ a golden key, I
suspect, to unlock the mystery! Just go back with a doubloon in your
band, and cross the palm of Master Dick Greedifist, and you will soon
find that he knows more about the matter than you supposed."

Jack, though indignant that such a proceeding should be necessary, did
as he was advised.

"Oh, certainly, Captain Deane!" answered Dick. "It was about the
`Venus' you were inquiring. Oh, ah, let me see! she was ordered home in
1702, and immediately afterwards the order was countermanded and she
remained on the station for some time longer. Since then, she was sent
to visit the plantations on the mainland of North America; and, in
consequence of her not having been heard of for some time, it is feared
that she must have met with some disaster. As soon as she had executed
her mission she was to return home; and I know that some months ago she
was expected."

This was all the infor