closed his door behind him and looked at the drawn blinds opposite. The
stars were paling as he quitted the alley and made his way to the railway
station. A note on his tumbled pillow, after thanking Mrs. Silk for her
care of him, informed her that he was quite well and had gone to London
in search of the missing captain.

Hardy, who had heard from Edward Silk of the steward's indisposition and
had been intending to pay him a visit, learnt of his departure later on
in the morning, and, being ignorant of the particulars, discoursed
somewhat eloquently to his partner on the old man's devotion.

"H'm, may be," said Swann, taking off his glasses and looking at him.
"But you don't think Captain Nugent is in London, do you?"

"Why not?" inquired Hardy, somewhat startled. "If what Wilks told you is
true, Nathan Smith knows," said the other. "I'll ask him."

"You don't expect to get the truth out of him, do you?" inquired Hardy,
superciliously.

"I do," said his partner, serenely; "and when I've got it I shall go and
tell them at Equator Lodge. It will be doing those two poor ladies a
service to let them know what has really happened to the captain."

"I'll walk round to Nathan Smith's with you," said Hardy. "I should like
to hear what the fellow has to say."

"No, I'll go alone," said his partner; "Smith's a very shy man--painfully
shy. I've run across him once or twice before. He's almost as bashful
and retiring as you are."