"Wrecked? No; but you have been due this two months, ye know. Wrecked?
Why, Captain, you haven't ever been wrecked?" And he looked him all over
as if he expected to see "WRECKED" branded on him by the elements.
"Ay, James, wrecked on the French coast, and lost my chronometer, and a
tip-top sextant. But what of that? I saved _It._ I have just landed It in
the Bank. Good-bye; I must sheer off: I long to be home."
"Stay a bit, Captain," said Maxley. "I am not quite easy in my mind. I
saw you come out of Hardie's. I thought in course you had been in to
draa: but you says different. Now what was it you did leave behind you at
that there shop, if _you_ please: not money?"
"Not money? Only L. 14,000. How the man stares! Why, it's not mine,
James; it's my children's: there, good-bye;" and he was actually off this
time. But Maxley stretched his long limbs, and caught him in two strides,
and griped his shoulder without ceremony. "Be you mad?" said he sternly.
"No, but I begin to think you are."
"That is to be seen," said Maxley gravely. "Before I lets you go, you
must tell me whether you be jesting, or whether you have really been so
simple as to drop fourteen--thousand--pounds at Hardie's?" No judge upon
the bench, nor bishop in his stall, could be more impressive than this
gardener was, when he subdued the vast volume of his voice to a low grave
utterance of this sort.
Pages:
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476