“Youweresayingjustnowyoudidn’tunderstand，“hewentonslowly，withoutlookingup；“soyoumusttakeyourownbearingsfromwhatI’mtellingyou。WhenImetyouthatnightIhadjustarrivedfromMelbourne。IhadbeenluckyinsometradingspeculationsIhadoutthere，andIhadsomebillswithme，butnomoneyexceptwhatIhadtuckedintheskinofthatportmanteauandafewpapersconnectedwithmyfamilyathome。WhenamanlivestherovingkindoflifeIhave，helearnstokeepallthathecaresforunderhisownhat，andisn’tapttoblabtofriends。ButitgotoutinsomewayonthevoyagethatIhadmoney，andastherewasamixedlotof’Sydneyducks’and’ticketofleavemen’onboard，itseemstheyhatchedanicelittleplottowaylaymeonthewharfonlanding，robme，anddropmeintodeepwater。Tomakeitseemlesssuspicious，theyassociatedthemselveswithalotofcrimpswhowereonthelookoutforoursailors，whoweregoingashorethatnighttoo。I’dmysuspicionsthatacoupleofthosemenmightbewaitingformeattheendofthewharf。Ilefttheshipjustaminuteortwobeforethesailorsdid。ThenImetyou。
Thatmeeting，mylad，wasmyfirststeptowardsalvation。Forthetwomenletyoupasswithmyportmanteau，whichtheydidn’trecognize，asIknewtheywouldME，andsupposedyouwereastranger，andlaylow，waitingforme。I，whowentintothegin-
millwiththeothersailors，wasfoolishenoughtodrink，andwasdruggedandcrimpedastheywere。Ihadn’tthoughtofthat。A
poordevilofaticketofleaveman，aboutmysize，wasknockeddownforme，and，“headded，suppressingalaugh，“willbeburied，deeplylamented，inthechancelofDorntonChurch。Whiletherowwasgoingon，theskipper，fearingtoloseothermen，warpedoutintothestream，andsoknewnothingofwhathappenedtome。Whentheyfoundwhattheythoughtwasmybody，hewaswillingtoidentifyitinthehopethatthecrimemightbechargedtothecrimps，andsodidtheothersailorwitnesses。ButmybrotherBill，whohadjustarrivedherefromCallao，wherehehadbeenhuntingforme，hushedituptopreventascandal。Allthesame，Billmighthaveknownthebodywasn’tmine，eventhoughhehadn’tseenmeforyears。“
“Butitwasfrightfullydisfigured，sothatevenI，whosawyouonlyonce，couldnothaveswornitwasNOTyou，“saidRandolphquickly。
“Humph！“saidCaptainDorntonmusingly。“Billmayhaveactedonthesquare——thoughhewasinad——dhurry。“
“But，“saidRandolpheagerly，“youwillputanendtoallthisnow。
Youwillassertyourself。Youhavewitnessestoproveyouridentity。“
“Steady，lad，“saidthecaptain，wavinghispipegently。“OfcourseIhave。But“——hestopped，laiddownhispipe，andputhishandsdoggedlyinhispockets——“ISITWORTHIT？“SeeingthelookofamazementinRandolph’sface，helaughedhislowlaugh，andsettledhimselfbackinhischairagain。“No，“hesaidquietly，“ifitwasn’tformyson，andwhat’sduehimasmyheir，Isuppose——
IreckonI’djustchuckthewholed——dthing。“
“What！“saidRandolph。“Giveuptheproperty，thetitle，thefamilyhonor，thewrongdonetoyourreputation，thepunishment“——
Hehesitated，fearinghehadgonetoofar。
CaptainDorntonwithdrewhispipefromhismouthwithagestureofcaution，andholdingitup，said:“Steady，lad。We’llcometoTHAT
byandby。Astothepropertyandtitle，IcutandrunfromTHEM
tenyearsago。Tometheymeantonlytheoldthing——thelifeofacountrygentleman，thehunting，theshooting，thewholebeastlybusinessthattheland，overthere，hangslikeamillstoneroundyourneck。Theymeantallthistome，wholovedadventureandtheseafrommycradle。Icuttheproperty，forIhatedit，andIhateitstill。IfIwentbackIshouldheartheseacallingmedayandnight；Ishouldfeelthebreathofthesouthwesttradesineverywindthatblewoverthattightlittleislandyonder；Ishouldbealwaysscentingtheoldtrail，lad，thetrailthatleadsstraightoutoftheGatetoswoopdowntotheSouthSeas。Doyouthinkamanwhohasfelthisship’sbowsheaveandplungeunderhiminthelongPacificswell——justaheadofhimareefbreakingwhiteintothelagoon，andbeyondafenceoffeatherypalms——carestofollowhoundsovergrayhedgesunderagrayNovembersky？Andthesociety？Amanwho’sgotaspeakingacquaintanceineveryportfromAcapulcotoMelbourne，whoknowseverydenandeverylongshoremaninitfromaSouthAmericantiendatoaSamoanbeach-
comber’shut，——whatdoeshewantwithsociety？“HepausedasRandolph’seyeswerefixedwonderinglyonthefirstsignofemotiononhisweather-beatenface，whichseemedforamomenttoglowwiththestrengthandfreshnessofthesea，andthensaid，withalaugh:
“Youstare，lad。Well，foralltheDorntonsareratherproudoftheirfamily，likeasnottherewassomebeastlyoldDanishpirateamongthemlongago，andI’vegotatasteofhisbloodinme。ButI’mnotquiteasbadasthatyet。“
Helaughed，andcarelesslywenton:“Astothefamilyhonor，I
don’tseethatitwillbehelpedbymyrippingupthewholethingandperhapsshowingthatBillwasalittletoopreviousinidentifyingme。Astomyreputation，thatwasgoneafterIlefthome，andifIhadn’tbeenthelegalheirtheywouldn’thavebotheredtheirheadsaboutme。Myfatherhadgivenmeuplongago，andthereisn’taman，woman，orchildthatwouldn’tnowwelcomeBillinmyplace。“
“Thereisonewhowouldn’t，“saidRandolphimpulsively。
“YoumeanCarolineAvondale？“saidCaptainDorntondryly。
Randolphcolored。“No；ImeanMissEversleigh，whowaswithyourbrother。“
CaptainDorntonreflected。“Tobesure！SibylEversleigh！I
haven’tseenhersinceshewassohigh。Iusedtocallhermylittlesweetheart。SoSybbyrememberedCousinJackandcametofindhim？Butwhendidyoumeether？“heaskedsuddenly，asifthiswastheonlydetailofthepastwhichhadescapedhim，fixinghisfrankeyesuponRandolph。
TheyoungmanrecountedatsomelengththedinnerpartyatDingwall’s，hisconversationwithMissEversleigh，andhisinterviewwithSirWilliam，butspokelittleofMissAvondale。Tohissurprise，thecaptainlistenedsmilingly，andonlysaid:“ThatwaslikeBillytotakeariseoutofyoubypretendingyouweresuspected。That’shisway——alittleroughwhenyoudon’tknowhimandhe’sgotalittlegrogamidships。Allthesame，I’dhavegivensomethingtohaveheardhim’running’you，whenallthewhileyouhadthebiggestbulgeonhim，onlyneitherofyouknewit。“Helaughedagain，untilRandolph，amazedathislevityandindifference，losthispatience。
“Doyouknow，“hesaidbluntly，“thattheydon’tbelieveyouwerelegallymarried？“
ButCaptainDorntononlycontinuedtolaugh，until，seeinghiscompanion’shorrifiedface，hebecamedemure。“IsupposeBilldidn’t，forBillhadsenseenoughtoknowthatotherwisehewouldhavetotakeabackseattoBobby。“
“ButdidMissAvondaleknowyouwerelegallymarried，andthatyoursonwastheheir？“askedRandolphbluntly。
“Shehadnoreasontosuspectotherwise，althoughweweremarriedsecretly。Shewasanoldfriendofmywife，notparticularlyofmine。“
Randolphsatbackamazedandhorrified。ThosewereHERownwords。
Orwasthismandeceivinghimastheothershad？
Butthecaptain，eyinghimcuriously，butstillamusedly，added:“I
eventhoughtofbringingherasoneofmywitnesses，until“——
“Untilwhat？“askedRandolphquickly，ashesawthecaptainhadhesitated。
“UntilIfoundshewasn’ttobetrusted；untilIfoundshewastoothickwithBill，“saidthecaptainbluntly。“Andnowshe’sgonetoEnglandwithhimandtheboy，Isupposeshe’llmakehimcometoterms。“
“Cometoterms？“echoedRandolph。“Idon’tunderstand。“Yethehadaninstinctivefearthathedid。
“Well，“saidthecaptainslowly，“supposeshemightpreferthechanceofbeingthewifeofagrown-upbaronettobeingthegovernessofonewhowasonlyaminor？She’sacutegirl，“headdeddryly。
“But，“saidRandolphindignantly，“youhaveotherwitnesses，I
hope。“
“OfcourseIhave。I’vegottheSpanishrecordsnowfromtheCallaopriest，andthey’reputinasafeplaceshouldanythinghappentome——ifanythingcouldhappentoadeadman！“headdedgrimly。“TheseproofswereallIwaswaitingforbeforeImadeupmymindwhetherIshouldblowthewholething，orletitslide。“
Randolphlookedagainwithamazementatthisstrangemanwhoseemedsoindifferenttotheclaimsofwealth，position，andeventorevenge。Itseemedinconceivable，andyethecouldnothelpbeingimpressedwithhisperfectsincerity。Hewasrelieved，however，whenCaptainDorntonrosewithapparentreluctanceandputawayhispipe。
“Nowlookhere，mylad，I’mrightgladtohaveoverhauledyouagain，whateverhappenedorisgoingtohappen，andthere’smyhanduponit！Now，tocometobusiness。I’mgoingovertoEnglandonthisjob，andIwantyoutocomeandhelpme。“
Randolph’sheartleaped。Theappealrevivedallhisoldboyishenthusiasm，withhissecretloyaltytothemanbeforehim。Buthesuddenlyrememberedhispastillusions，andforaninstanthehesitated。
“Butthebank，“hestammered，scarceknowingwhattosay。
Thecaptainsmiled。“Iwillpayyoubetterthanthebank；andattheendoffourmonths，inwhateverwaythisjobturnsout，ifyoustillwishtoreturnhere，Iwillseethatyouaresecuredfromanyloss。Perhapsyoumaybeabletogetaleaveofabsence。Butyourrealobjectmustbekeptasecretfromeveryone。NotawordofmyexistenceormypurposemustbeblownbeforeIamready。YouandJackRedhillareallthatknowitnow。“
“Butyouhavealawyer？“saidthesurprisedRandolph。
“Notyet。I’mmyownlawyerinthismatteruntilIgetfairlyunderway。I’vestudiedthelawenoughtoknowthatassoonasI