aven't any news of
him since goodness knows when."

"You don't mean that?" said Deering, aghast.

"Indeed, but I do, and I hope that you're not going to misbelieve me
like that Captain Robinson, that calls here every----"

"What?" ejaculated Deering. "Avast there. Captain Robinson, did you
say?"

"Yes."

"Do you know him?"

"I can't very well be off knowing him, seeing as he's here about twice
a day, and I know he never wished my poor master no good."

"What makes you think that?" asked Joe Deering.

"Master used always to try to avoid seeing him, poor old gentleman,"
replied the housekeeper.

"Why do you call him 'poor old gentleman?'"

"Because I know he suffered dreadfully, and I think he was worried by
that Robinson into doing something dreadful."

"How dreadful?"

Joe Deering's curiosity was excited now by the housekeeper's manner,
and he pressed her for further information.

"That Captain Robinson worrited him to a skeleton, sir," she answered;
"he was always here nag, nag, nagging night and day. At last my poor
master bolted, sir."

"Bolted!"

"Ran away."

"Where to?"

"I don't know; but he bolted from here, and from Captain Robinson."

"But Mr. Murray was surely not in fear of Captain Robinson?"

"Indeed, he was. Captain Robinson knew something about my poor master
that oughtn't to be known, so it was said, and he was always trying to
force Mr. Murray to give him money."

"The deuce he was!" said Captain Deering. "This throws a new light on
the scoundrel and his cursed good-natured-looking figure-head."

"A deceitful beast!" said the housekeeper, warmly. "You would have
thought that he couldn't hurt a worm to look at him, and yet I do
believe that he's drove poor Mr. Murray to make away with himself."

"You don't think that?"

"What else can I think? He hasn't been seen or heard or for months and
months. But if I wasn't so heavy at heart over that, sir, I could laugh
for joy to see that beast of a Captain Robinson's disappointment every
time he comes."

"So he comes often?" said Joe Deering, eagerly.

"Every day; sometimes twice a day," was the reply.

Deering thought this information over quietly.

"Would you like to serve him out?" he asked presently.

"Who?"

"Captain Robinson," responded Deering.

"That I should, indeed," said the housekeeper, eagerly; "only show me
how to do it."

"I will."

Joe Deering did.

He made himself known to the woman, and convinced he