fellow-members of the Daft Committee
seated themselves in the chairs just vacated by the thirteen murdered
pirates. Nothing could have persuaded any of the others to sit in those
dreadful seats; but no feeling of this sort appeared to disturb the
Committee, and they evidently saw no reason why they should not be
comfortable.

The Third Vice-President drummed on the table with his fingers, and
frowned to himself in silence. One of the Committee, taking his
skull-cap from his head and smoothing it thoughtfully with his hand,
glanced up at the Chairman and said:

"I fear, Professor, that our hopes are dashed. It is nothing less than
disastrous."

"You are right, my dear sir," said the Chairman. "It is a terrible
misfortune; terrible indeed. And just when we were on the point of--"

"What!" exclaimed Toby in astonishment. "Do you mean to say you are
sorry those rascally pirates are gone?"

"My dear sir," said the Chairman, very patiently, "I am finding no
fault. I do not wish to blame anyone. The loss of these pirates to
science is one that can never be compensated. The Society for Piratical
Research is now at an end. There are no other pirates on this island,
and you must see for yourselves that without pirates our society must
perish. It is a woful--"

"Well, I never!" said Aunt Amanda. "Of all things! Do you dare to sit
there and tell me you'd rather see us all murdered by pirates than--"

"Be calm, my friends," said the Third Vice-President, placidly. "I have
already said that I do not wish to find fault. I desire to be generous.
It is my wish. In fact, I forgive you freely. Whatever bitterness you
may have caused us, we are willing to believe that it was not
intentional. The Daft Committee forgives you; freely. Let us be
peaceful. It only remains to decide what steps we shall take to meet the
future. I submit to you this question: whether we shall first go to the
pirates' home in High Dudgeon, or return at once to the City of Towers,
to confess our failure and receive our--Hark! I thought I heard a
knock."

Everyone listened. There was indeed the sound of knocking, muffled but
quite audible. The group standing about the table looked from one to
another in silence. Was this some new danger? Were there other pirates
to be reckoned with? The Churchwarden put his hand to his back pocket,
to be ready with his bottle.

"I think it comes from within this room," said the Third Vice-President.

All eyes examined th