Dialstone Lane, Complete
give him advice suitable for all known emergencies at sea, together with a few that are unknown. Even Mr. Chalk began to tire of his pleasantries, and, after listening to a s
for whom he was beginning to entertain a strong partiality, and whose observations of Bincheste
said to his niece. "There
y out of window, said th
business, I understa
to her-when she had happened to give the
e's a young man that's going to get on; he's going to make
ntion, and she looked at him sharply as an almost incredible
ng men too fond of money
agerly. "If anything, he is too open-han
coming to see you," said Prud
the capta
s the girl faced roun
," concluded the cap
atellites, and ships responding to the lightest touch of the helm, he was venturing with all the confidence of ignorance upon the most d
p there," said Captain Bow
" remarked Miss Drewitt, casually. "They
imed the aston
ke Joseph? Why, you
ceded Miss Drewitt, "but I always
e captain. "There isn't a single feature alike. Besides, have
aid Miss
garded her closely, but Miss Drewitt
eyes, my dear?" he ventured, anxiously-
so," said his
veral admirable qualities in Edward Tredgold which he felt sure must have escaped her notice. The surprise with which Miss Drewitt g
y. "Chalk told me that he is surprised he has not been
s niece, with supp
late also that they should not leave Binchester. An admirer in London to whom his niece had once or twice allu
ds. The captain was out, but, encouraged by Mr. Tasker, who represented that his return might be looked f
t be tired of waiting?" she
t. "If you had been five minutes later you would have found
be," sai
I may," said Mr. Tredgold. "I'm very g
is voice that Miss Drewitt fel
ne me good," explained Mr. Tredgold, with much simplici
and said, "Indeed!-I am very glad that y
I've discovered for him. It's a Queen Anne, I believe; one of the best things I've ever
ldly, "but I don't think that my uncle wants a
it for your room,
room is full," said
Tredgold. "We tried to get a small table for it before you came, but we couldn't s
and wondered whether Mr. Chalk had added her to his
t for yourself
head. "You forget that I lost two pounds to
iss Drewitt, firmly. "Please don't
ppointed. "As you please
little. "I, should think that I saw the ghosts of dead and gone player
full of ghosts sitting piled up in each other's laps-there's no reason why you sh
," said Miss Drewitt,
notice-I had my eye on it for years; all the time old Brown was bedridden, in fact. I used to go an
irl, in a startled voice. "Did
ences of a collector, remembered himself suddenly.
idden now?" in
Tredgold, truthfully. "He gave up smoking a
witt, shivering. "He died
ng-" began
t understand why my uncle should have listened to your advice at all; y
act, it was intended for his room at
his mind, then?"
ut his lips quivered and his eyes watered. Miss Drew
elieve it,
lly. "I talk too much. I'd no business to let out about old Brown, but I
uncle?" inquired Miss Dr
own words," s
man before her. Her mind was full of subject-matter, but the politeness easily eluded her. She threw out afte
nd after a hasty greeting insisted upon his staying for a cup of tea. By a glance in the v
tea, by the series of nods and blinks by which the captain strove to call his niece's attention to various facial and other differences between his ser
tive listeners prevented him from discovering the fact. He described his afternoo
," he said, as he soug
til the sound of subdued but argumentative voices beyond the drawn blind apprised them of other visitors. The thin tones of Mr. Chalk came through the open window, apparently engaged in arg
" cried t
surly and reluctant frame of mind, and having exchanged greetings subsided silently into a chair and sat eyeing
you here," he said, pleas
d, with what Mr. Chalk thou
rally are here, I suppose,"
th a scowl, and a somewhat u
lk, turning to the captain. "He's done nothing
Stobell returned the courtesy with an odd nois
hat gentleman, "and nothing would
ow, that the ingenious Mr. Chalk was using him as a stalking-horse. From the fact that Mr. Stobell made no denial it was none the less
," explained Mr. Chalk; "he
Tredgold endeavoured, but without succes
id the captain
at's going to its first pant
alarming that he broke off and e
pantomime," said Mr. Tre
nce at Mr. Stobell to remind hi
id, watching his friend, "and
tically. "Has he tried shutting his eyes
turning a threatening glance on the speaker. "And what's m
Chalk, hurriedly. "The more Stobell thinks of it the more he
his brows and looke
alk reminded him. "You said, 'I've shown yo
e captain, with a
ether you couldn't give us just a little bit more
ne, "replied the captain, ponde
Mr. Tasker, who had entered with a tray and glasses, and sat staring at the
at the map?" he said, softly; "jus
hair to the table to preside ove
said, b
d, in surprise at the captain's tone. "You show
ptain, in a more gentle vo
repeated
r his harshness by pouring a serious overdose of whisky into Mr. Chalk's glass, "and it's
mptation?" repe
," said the capt
asped Mr. Cha
es," said the ca
have done it before. In fact, I nev
d at him in spe
captain, handing Mr
bit, and sat holding it in his hand as th
, and I suppose the match put me in mind of it. I took out the map and set light to it at Cape Silvio. The flame ran
nodded to Mr. Stobell. Mr. Stobell, who was just
ng to laugh at," he
ng," said Mr. Tredgold, in
aid the captain, geniall
," said Mr
od and surveyed them; even Mr. Tasker, who was gliding in
rphans and widows," he
ind him, breathed the rest to Dialstone Lane. A