But "No,"
said he, "I hit upon a better notion to-day in the Den," and to explain
this notion he produced from his pocket a large, vulgar bottle, which
shocked Miss Ailie, and indeed that bottle had not passed through the
streets uncommented on.

Mr. McLean having observed this bottle afloat on the Silent Pool, had
fished it out with his stick, and its contents set him chuckling. They
consisted of a sheet of paper which stated that the bottle was being
flung into the sea in lat. 20, long. 40, by T. Sandys, Commander of the
Ailie, then among the breakers. Sandys had little hope of weathering the
gale, but he was indifferent to his own fate so long as his enemy did
not escape, and he called upon whatsoever loyal subjects of the Queen
should find this document to sail at once to lat. 20, long. 40, and
there cruise till they had captured the Pretender, _alias_ Stroke, and
destroyed his Lair. A somewhat unfavorable personal description of
Stroke was appended, with a map of the coast, and a stern warning to all
loyal subjects not to delay as one Ailie was in the villain's hands and
he might kill her any day. Victoria Regina would give five hundred
pounds for his head. The letter ended in manly style with the writer's
sending an affecting farewell message to his wife and little children.

"And so while we are playing ourselves," said Mr. McLean to Miss Ailie,
"your favorite is seeking my blood."

"Our favorite," interposed the school-mistress, and he accepted the
correction, for neither of them could forget that their present
relations might have been very different had it not been for Tommy's
faith in the pass-book. The boy had shown a knowledge of the human
heart, in Miss Ailie's opinion, that was simply wonderful; inspiration
she called it, and though Ivie thought it a happy accident, he did not
call it so to her. Tommy's father had been the instrument in bringing
these two together originally, and now Tommy had brought them together
again; there was fate in it, and if the boy was of the right stuff
McLean meant to reward him.

"I see now," he said to Miss Ailie, "a way of getting rid of our
fearsome secret and making my peace with Sandys at one fell blow." He
declined to tell her more, but presently he sought Gavinia, who dreaded
him nowadays because of his disconcerting way of looking at her
inquiringly and saying "I do!"

"You don't happen to know, Gavinia," he asked, "whether the good ship
Ailie weathered the gale