"Laura, that's all tommyrot. This is an old house, and the wood always
creaks with a change of temperature. But this doesn't seem to touch
Mr. Fitzgerald."

The girl shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad I told that German chap not to leave till he heard
again from me. I'll hire him. He looks like a man who wouldn't let
noises worry him. You will find your noises are entirely those of
imagination."

"Have it that way," she agreed patiently.

"But here's Mr. Fitzgerald still," said the admiral pointedly.

"Not long ago you said to me that if ever I saw the son of David
Fitzgerald to bring him home. Till yesterday I never saw him; only
then because Mrs. Coldfield pointed him out and wondered what he was
doing with a tray of statuettes around his neck. As I could not invite
him to come home with me, I did the next best thing; I invited him to
call on me. I was told that he was fond of adventures, so I gave the
invitation as much color as I could. Do I stand pardoned?"

"Indeed you do!" cried Fitzgerald. So this was the Killigrew his
father had known?

"David Fitzgerald, your father? That makes all the difference in the
world." The admiral thrust out a hand. "Your father wasn't a good
business man, nor was he in the navy, but he could draw charts of the