Captain Jorgan,up and out betimes,had put the whole village of Lanrean under an amicable cross-examination,and was returning to the King Arthur's Arms to breakfast,none the wiser for his trouble,when he beheld the young fisherman advancing to meet him,accompanied by a stranger.A glance at this stranger assured the captain that he could be no other than the Seafaring Man;and the captain was about to hail him as a fellow-craftsman,when the two stood still and silent before the captain,and the captain stood still,silent,and wondering before them.
"Why,what's this?"cried the captain,when at last he broke the silence."You two are alike.You two are much alike.What's this?"Not a word was answered on the other side,until after the sea-faring brother had got hold of the captain's right hand,and the fisherman brother had got hold of the captain's left hand;and if ever the captain had had his fill of hand-shaking,from his birth to that hour,he had it then.And presently up and spoke the two brothers,one at a time,two at a time,two dozen at a time for the bewilderment into which they plunged the captain,until he gradually had Hugh Raybrock's deliverance made clear to him,and also unravelled the fact that the person referred to in the half-obliterated paper was Tregarthen himself.
"Formerly,dear Captain Jorgan,"said Alfred,"of Lanrean,you recollect?Kitty and her father came to live at Steepways after Hugh shipped on his last voyage.""Ay,ay!"cried the captain,fetching a breath."Now you have me in tow.Then your brother here don't know his sister-in-law that is to be so much as by name?""Never saw her;never heard of her!"
"Ay,ay,ay!"cried the captain."Why then we every one go back together--paper,writer,and all--and take Tregarthen into the secret we kept from him?""Surely,"said Alfred,"we can't help it now.We must go through with our duty.""Not a doubt,"returned the captain."Give me an arm apiece,and let us set this ship-shape."So walking up and down in the shrill wind on the wild moor,while the neglected breakfast cooled within,the captain and the brothers settled their course of action.
It was that they should all proceed by the quickest means they could secure to Barnstaple,and there look over the father's books and papers in the lawyer's keeping;as Hugh had proposed to himself to do if ever he reached home.That,enlightened or unenlightened,they should then return to Steepways and go straight to Mr.
Tregarthen,and tell him all they knew,and see what came of it,and act accordingly.Lastly,that when they got there they should enter the village with all precautions against Hugh's being recognised by any chance;and that to the captain should be consigned the task of preparing his wife and mother for his restoration to this life.
"For you see,"quoth Captain Jorgan,touching the last head,"it requires caution any way,great joys being as dangerous as great griefs,if not more dangerous,as being more uncommon (and therefore less provided against)in this round world of ours.And besides,Ishould like to free my name with the ladies,and take you home again at your brightest and luckiest;so don't let's throw away a chance of success."The captain was highly lauded by the brothers for his kind interest and foresight.
"And now stop!"said the captain,coming to a standstill,and looking from one brother to the other,with quite a new rigging of wrinkles about each eye;"you are of opinion,"to the elder,"that you are ra'ather slow?""I assure you I am very slow,"said the honest Hugh.
"Wa'al,"replied the captain,"I assure you that to the best of my belief I am ra'ather smart.Now a slow man ain't good at quick business,is he?"That was clear to both.
"You,"said the captain,turning to the younger brother,"are a little in love;ain't you?""Not a little,Captain Jorgan."
"Much or little,you're sort preoccupied;ain't you?"It was impossible to be denied.
"And a sort preoccupied man ain't good at quick business,is he?"said the captain.
Equally clear on all sides.
"Now,"said the captain,"I ain't in love myself,and I've made many a smart run across the ocean,and I should like to carry on and go ahead with this affair of yours,and make a run slick through it.
Shall I try?Will you hand it over to me?"They were both delighted to do so,and thanked him heartily.
"Good,"said the captain,taking out his watch."This is half-past eight a.m.,Friday morning.I'll jot that down,and we'll compute how many hours we've been out when we run into your mother's post-office.There!The entry's made,and now we go ahead."They went ahead so well that before the Barnstaple lawyer's office was open next morning,the captain was sitting whistling on the step of the door,waiting for the clerk to come down the street with his key and open it.But instead of the clerk there came the master,with whom the captain fraternised on the spot to an extent that utterly confounded him.