f the chin as to a person too facile in speech to be desirable.

The dumbness of the Marquis de Gemosac appealed perhaps to a race of
seafaring men very sparingly provided by nature with words in which to
clothe thoughts no less solid and sensible by reason of their terseness.
It was at all events unanimously decided that everything should be done
to make the foreigner welcome until the arrival of "The Last Hope." A
similar unanimity characterised the decision that he must without delay
be shown Frenchman's grave.

River Andrew's action and the unprecedented display of his Sunday hat
on a week-day were nothing but the outcome of a deep-laid scheme. Mrs.
Clopton had been instructed to recommend the gentlemen to inspect the
church, and the rest had been left to the wit of River Andrew, a man
whose calling took him far and wide, and gave him opportunities of
speech with gentlefolk.

These opportunities tempted River Andrew to go beyond his instructions
so far as to hint that he could, if encouraged, make disclosures of
interest respecting Frenchman. Which was untrue; for River Andrew knew
no more than the rest of Farlingford of a man who, having been literally
cast up by the sea at their gates, had lived his life within those
gates, had married a Farlingford woman, and had at last gone the way of
all Farlingford without telling any who or what he was.

From sundry open cottage doors and well-laden tea-tables glances of
inquiry were directed toward the strangers' faces as they walked down
the street after having viewed the church. Some prescient females went
so far as to state that they could see quite distinctly in the elder
gentleman's demeanour a sense of comfort and consolation at the
knowledge thus tactfully conveyed to him that he was not the first of
his kind to be seen in Farlingford.

Hard upon the heels of the visitors followed River Andrew, wearing his
sou'wester now and carrying the news that "The Last Hope" was coming up
on the top of the tide.

Farlingford lies four miles from the mouth of the river, and no ship can
well arrive unexpected at the quay; for the whole village may see
her tacking up under shortened sail, heading all ways, sometimes
close-hauled, and now running free as she follows the zigzags of the
river.

Thus, from the open door, the villagers calculated the chances of being
able to finish the evening meal at leisure and still be down at the quay
in time to see Seth Clubbe bring his shi