see me
through. We'll defeat them yet. Hi, pup!... He's gone. Absolutely
disappeared!' He sighed with relief, and I caught the lucky moment.

'Good business! I expect he only came to have a look at me,' I said.
'Now, get this drink down and turn in to the lower bunk.'

He obeyed, protesting that he could not inconvenience me, and in the
midst of apologies sank into a dead sleep. I expected a wakeful night,
having a certain amount to think over; but no sooner had I scrambled
into the top bunk than sleep came on me like a wave from the other side
of the world.

In the morning there were apologies, which we got over at breakfast
before our party were about.

'I suppose--after this--well, I don't blame you. I'm rather a lonely
chap, though.' His eyes lifted dog-like across the table.

'Shend,' I replied, 'I'm not running a Sunday school. You're coming home
with me in my car as soon as we land.'

'That is kind of you--kinder than you think.'

'That's because you're a little jumpy still. Now, I don't want to mix
up in your private affairs--'

'But I'd like you to,' he interrupted.

'Then, would you mind telling me the Christian name of a girl who was
insulted by a man called Clements?'

'Moira,' he whispered; and just then Mrs. Godfrey and Milly came to
table with their shore-going hats on.

We did not tie up till noon, but the faithful Leggatt had intrigued his
way down to the dock-edge, and beside him sat Malachi, wearing his
collar of gold, or Leggatt makes it look so, as eloquent as Demosthenes.
Shend flinched a little when he saw him. We packed Mrs. Godfrey and
Milly into Attley's car--they were going with him to Mittleham, of
course--and drew clear across the railway lines to find England all lit
and perfumed for spring. Shend sighed with happiness.

'D'you know,' he said, 'if--if you'd chucked me--I should have gone down
to my cabin after breakfast and cut my throat. And now--it's like a
dream--a good dream, you know.'

We lunched with the other three at Romsey. Then I sat in front for a
little while to talk to my Malachi. When I looked back, Shend was
solidly asleep, and stayed so for the next two hours, while Leggatt
chased Attley's fat Daimler along the green-speckled hedges. He woke up
when we said good-bye at Mittleham, with promises to meet again
very soon.

'And I hope,' said Mrs. Godfrey, 'that everything pleasant will happen
to you.'

'Heaps and heaps--all at once,' cried long, weak Milly,