on was genuine, and if he found proof of hypocrisy, was
prepared to fall foul of him forthwith. Sir Harry was not particularly
religious, but he was honest, and hated cant with all his soul.

'Well, Ben!' said he, looking sharply at his visitor's solemn red face,
'who would have thought of seeing you in these latitudes?'

'We never know what is before us, sir,' replied Baltic, in his deep,
rough voice. 'It was no more in my mind that I should meet you under
your own fig-tree than it was that I should receive a call through you!'

'Receive a call, man! What do you mean?' asked Harry, negligently. 'By
the way, will you have a cigar?'

'No thank you, sir. I don't smoke now.'

'A whisky and soda, then?'

'I have given up strong waters, sir.'

'Here is repentance indeed!' observed the baronet, with some sarcasm.
'You have changed since the Samoan days, Baltic!'

'Thanks be to Christ, sir, I have,' said the man, reverently, 'and my
call was through you, sir. When you saved my life I resolved to lead a
new one, and I sought out Mr Eva, the missionary, who gave me hope of
being a better man. I listened to his preaching, Sir Harry, I read the
Gospels, I wrestled with my sinful self, and after a long fight I was
made strong. My doubts were set at rest, my sins were washed in the
Blood of the Lamb, and since He took me into His holy keeping, I have
striven to be worthy of His great love.'

Baltic spoke so simply, and with such nobility, that Brace could not but
believe that he was in earnest. There was no spurious affectation, no
cant about the man; his words were grave, his manner was earnest, and
his speech came from the fulness of his heart. If there had been a false
note, a false look, Harry would have detected both, and great would
have been his disgust and wrath. But the dignity of the speech, the
simplicity of the description, impressed him with a belief that Baltic
was speaking truly. The man was a rough sailor, and therefore not
cunning enough to feign an emotion he did not feel, so, almost against
his will, Brace was obliged to believe that he saw before him a Saul
converted into a Paul. The change of Pagan Ben into Christian Baltic was
little else than miraculous.

'And are you now a missionary?' said Brace, after a reflective pause.

'No, Sir Harry,' answered the man, calmly, and with dignity, 'I am a
private inquiry agent!'

CHAPTER XXVI

THE AMAZEMENT OF SIR HARRY BRACE

'A private inquiry ag