Paasma (it looked
like a gnome, but it could be no other than the caretaker) evidently
intended to remain until he got a satisfactory explanation.

III

"Are you Heer Paasma?" I inquired from my distance.

The walnut nodded.

"Do you speak English?"

Out came the pipe. "Ja, a leetle."

"We're Miss Rivers and Miss Van Buren, from England. I'm Miss Van Buren.
You have heard about me, and that Captain Noble left me his motor-boat
in his will."

"No, I not heerd." A dark flush slowly turned the sharp little walnut
face to mahogany.

"How strange! I thought the solicitor would have written. But perhaps it
wasn't necessary. Anyway, I have all the papers to prove that the boat
is mine. You did know poor Captain Noble was dead, surely?"

"Ja, I hear that."

"Well, if you'll put a plank across, we'll come on board, and I'll show
you my papers and explain everything."

"I come on shore," said Mr. Paasma.

"No, we would rather----"

I might have saved my breath. Mr. Paasma was Dutch, and he had made up
his mind what would be best. The rest goes without saying. He seized one
of the ropes, hauled the boat closer to shore, and sprang onto the bank.

There was a strange glitter in his eye. I supposed it to be the bleak
glint of suspicion, and hastened to reassure the excellent man by
producing my papers, pointing out paragraphs which I placed
conspicuously under his nose, in our copy of Captain Noble's will, and
the letters I had received from the solicitor.

"You see," I said at last, "everything is all right. You need have no
hesitation in giving the boat to me."

[Illustration: _"You need have no hesitation in giving the boat to me"_]

Mr. Paasma puffed at his pipe, which he held very tight between his
teeth, and stared at the papers without looking up.

"If you like, you can apply to your lawyer, if you have one," I went on,
seeing that he was far from easy in his mind. "I'm quite willing to meet
him. Besides"--I had suddenly a brilliant idea--"I have relations in
Rotterdam. Their name is the same as mine--van Buren. Perhaps you have
heard of Heer Robert van Buren?"

"Ja," replied Mr. Paasma, biting his pipe still harder. Instead of
looking happy, his face grew so troubled that I wondered whether my
mention of these unknown relatives had been unfortunate--whether, by any
chance, a member of the family had lately committed some crime.
Meanwhile, Phyllis stared. For my own reasons I had refrained fro