I tried to reason wi' them; but they
wouldn't take 'No' for an answer. What's more, when I retire from the
business I shan't be honestly able to sell you the goodwill of it,
for they won't have my services at any price."

Hester laughed. "You won't even get me to bid," she assured him.
"We shall soon be too busy for letter-writing, and must close the office;
but to-night I suppose we cannot disappoint them."

So, with a sigh of resignation and an envious glance at the cosy fire,
she turned and stepped briskly down the courtyard to the office.
There, as Mr. Benny had promised, she found six expectant mariners, and
for an hour wrote busily, rapidly. Either she was growing cleverer at the
business, or her talk with Sir George had keyed her to this happy pitch.
She felt--it happens sometimes, if rarely, to most of us--in tune with all
the world; and in those illuminated hours we feel as if our
fellow-creatures could bring us no secret too obscure for our
understanding, no trouble hopeless of our help. "The light of the body is
the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full
of light." Hester found herself divining without effort what her clients
wished her to write, and as easily translating the inarticulate message
into words. It was superfluous for them to thank her as they did; her own
inner voice told her she had done well.

At length they were gone, and she followed them so far as the outer
office, to rake out the fire and tidy up for the night. As she stooped
over the stove she was startled by a noise from the inner room--a noise as
of someone moving the window-sash. But how could this be? Perhaps the
sash-cord had parted, letting the pane slip down with a run--

It did not occur to her, though startled for the moment, to be afraid, or
even to suspect any cause for fear. Her mind was still busy with this
practical explanation when she opened the door and her eyes fell on Tom
Trevarthen.

His back was turned towards her as he closed the window by which he had
just entered; but he faced about with a smile, ignoring the alarm in her
face and the hand she put out against the door-jamb for support.

"Good-evenin', miss! You'll excuse my coming by the shortest way--"

"But--but _how_ did you come?" she gasped.

He laughed. "Easy enough: I swung myself up by the schooner's forestay.
Eh? Didn't you know the _One-and-All's_ moored here just underneath?
Then I must ha' given you a