ch day--make a fair thing of it, eh? You to-morrow, Nichols, and you
the next day Lethbridge. I'm not particular about the weather, as Job
Rowsell can tell you, and I've sailed a boat since I was a boy. I'm no
land-lubber, am I, Rowsell?"

"No, you can sail the boat all right," Rowsell admitted, looking back
over his shoulder. "You'd sail it into Hell itself, if one'd let you.
Come on, you boys, if there's any one of you as fancies to drink. I'm
wet to the skin."

Nichols' boat was duly prepared at nine o'clock on the following
morning. Lethbridge shouted to him from the rails.

"Gentleman's changed his mind, I reckon. He went off on the eight
o'clock boat for Penzance."

Nichols commenced stolidly to furl his sails again.

"It's my thinking Lethbridge," he said, as he clambered into the dinghy,
"that there's things going on in this island which you and me don't
understand. I'm for a few plain words with Job Rowsell, though he's my
own sister's husband."

"Plain words is more than you'll get from Job," Lethbridge replied
gloomily. "He slept last night on the floor at the 'Blue Crown,' and
he's there this morning, clamouring for brandy and pawing the air. He's
got the blue devils, that's what he's got."

"There's money," Nichols declared solemnly, "some money, that is, that
does no one any good."

CHAPTER XXXIII

There was a shrill whistle from the captain's bridge, and the steamer,
which had scarcely yet gathered way, swung slowly around. Rushing up
towards it through the mists came a little naval launch, in the stern of
which a single man was seated. In an incredibly short space of time it
was alongside, the passenger had climbed up the rope ladder, the pinnace
had sheered off and the steamer was once more heading towards the
Channel.

The newly-arrived passenger was making his way towards the saloon when
a voice which seemed to come from behind a pile of rugs heaped around a
steamer-chair, arrested his progress.

"Hugh! Major Thomson!"

He stopped short. Geraldine shook herself free from her rugs and sat up.
They looked at one another in astonishment.

"Why, Geraldine," he exclaimed, "where are you off to?"

"To Boulogne, of course," she answered. "Don't pretend that you are
surprised. Why, you got me the appointment yourself."

"Of course," he agreed, "only I had no idea that you were going just
yet, or that you were on this boat."

"They told me to come out this week," she said, as he drew a