n.

"Going to find a hotel," said Annis; "there's no train back to-night."

"Take the cabin," he said entreatingly, "I and the mate'll sleep
for'ard."

"No, thank you," said Annis.

She stepped to the side, and, assisted by the skipper, clambered up on
to the quay again. The mate came up at the moment and stood eyeing her
curiously.

"This is Miss Gething," said the skipper slowly. "Any news?"

"None," said the mate solemnly; "they've vanished like smoke."

"Is it certain," asked Annis, addressing, him, "that it was my father?"

The mate looked at the skipper and pushed his cap back. "We had no
reason to think otherwise," he said shortly. "It's a mystery to me
altogether. He can't have gone home by train because he had no money."

"It couldn't have been my father," said Annis slowly. "Somebody has
been deceiving you. Good-night. I will come round in the morning; it is
getting late."

"Where are you going?" inquired the mate.

"She's going to look for a hotel," said the skipper, answering for her.

"It's late," said the mate dubiously, "and this isn't much of a place
for hotels. Why not take her to the woman where her father has been
staying? You said she seemed a decent sort."

"It's a poor place," began the other.

"That'll do," said Annis decidedly; "if it was good enough for my father
it is good enough for me. If it wasn't my father I may learn something
about him. Is it far?"

"Two miles," said the mate.

"We'd better start at once, then," said the skipper, moving a step or
two by way of example.

"And perhaps you'll walk down too," said Annis to the mate.

It went to the mate's heart to do it, but he was a staunch friend. "No,
I think I'll turn in," he said, blushing at his rudeness; "I'm tired."

He lifted his cap awkwardly and descended. Annis, with her head at an
uncomfortable altitude, set off with the skipper.

"I'm sorry the mate wouldn't come," said the latter stiffly.

After this they went on in silence along the quiet road, Miss Gething
realizing instinctively that the man by her side had got a temper equal
to at least a dozen of her own. This made her walk a little closer
to him, and once, ever so lightly, her hand brushed against his. The
skipper put his hands in his jacket pockets.

They reached the late habitation of the mysterious Captain Gething
without another word having been spoken on the journey. The mews was
uninviting enough by daylight, by night it was worse. The bod