ervice."

In a moment Sterne appeared, walking as noiselessly as a cat on the
wharf.

"It's so jolly dark, and I had no idea you would be down to-night."

"What's this horrible raving?" asked Mr. Van Wyk, as if to explain the
cause of a shudder than ran over him audibly.

"Jack's broken out on a drunk. That's our second. It's his way. He will
be right enough by to-morrow afternoon, only Mr. Massy will keep on
worrying up and down the deck. We had better get away."

He muttered suggestively of a talk "up at the house." He had long
desired to effect an entrance there, but Mr. Van Wyk nonchalantly
demurred: it would not, he feared, be quite prudent, perhaps; and
the opaque black shadow under one of the two big trees left at the
landing-place swallowed them up, impenetrably dense, by the side of the
wide river, that seemed to spin into threads of glitter the light of
a few big stars dropped here and there upon its outspread and flowing
stillness.

"The situation is grave beyond doubt," Mr. Van Wyk said. Ghost-like in
their white clothes they could not distinguish each others' features,
and their feet made no sound on the soft earth. A sort of purring was
heard. Mr. Sterne felt gratified by such a beginning.

"I thought, Mr. Van Wyk, a gentleman of your sort would see at once how
awkwardly I was situated."

"Yes, very. Obviously his health is bad. Perhaps he's breaking up. I
see, and he himself is well aware--I assume I am speaking to a man of
sense--he is well aware that his legs are giving out."

"His legs--ah!" Mr. Sterne was disconcerted, and then turned sulky.
"You may call it his legs if you like; what I want to know is whether he
intends to clear out quietly. That's a good one, too! His legs! Pooh!"

"Why, yes. Only look at the way he walks." Mr. Van Wyk took him up in a
perfectly cool and undoubting tone. "The question, however, is whether
your sense of duty does not carry you too far from your true interest.
After all, I too could do something to serve you. You know who I am."

"Everybody along the Straits has heard of you, sir."

Mr. Van Wyk presumed that this meant something favorable. Sterne had
a soft laugh at this pleasantry. He should think so! To the opening
statement, that the partnership agreement was to expire at the end of
this very trip, he gave an attentive assent. He was aware. One heard of
nothing else on board all the blessed day long. As to Massy, it was no
secret that he was in a joll