runken
chuckle.

Mrs. Wesley rose in her seat. Her hand went up, and Charles made
sure she meant to box the man's ears. He could not see the look on
her face, but whatever it was it cowed the fellow, who seized his
oars again and began to pull for dear life, as she sat back and laid
her hand on the tiller.

"Easy, now," she commanded, after twenty strokes or so. "Easy, and
ship your oar, unless you want it broken!" But for answer he merely
stared at her, and a moment later his starboard oar snapped its
tholepin like a carrot, and hurled him back over his thwart as the
boat ran alongside the _Albemarle's_ ladder.

"My friend," said Mrs. Wesley coolly, "you have a pestilent habit of
not listening. I hired you to row me to the _Albemarle_, and this, I
believe, is she." Then, with a glance up at the half-dozen grinning
faces above the bulwarks, "Can I see Captain Bewes?"

"Your servant, ma'am." The captain appeared at the head of the
ladder; a red apple-cheeked man in shirt-sleeves and clean white
nankeen breeches, who looked like nothing so much as an overgrown
schoolboy.

"Is Mr. Samuel Annesley on board?"

Captain Bewes rubbed his chin. He had grown suddenly grave. "I beg
your pardon," said he, "but are you a kinswoman of Mr. Annesley's?"

"I am his sister, sir."

"Then I'll have to ask you to step on board, ma'am. You may dismiss
that rascal, and one of my boats shall put you ashore."

He stepped some way down the ladder to meet her and she took his hand
with trepidation, while the _Albemarle's_ crew leaned over and
taunted the cursing waterman.

"There--that will do, my man. I don't allow swearing here.
Steady, ma'am, that's right; and now give us a hand, youngster."

"Is--is he ill?" Mrs. Wesley stammered.

"Who? Mr. Annesley? Not to my knowledge, ma'am."

"Then he is on board? We heard he had taken passage with you."

"Why, so he did; and, what's more, to the best of my knowledge, he
sailed. It's a serious matter, ma'am, and we're all at our wits'
ends over it; but the fact is--Mr. Annesley has disappeared."

CHAPTER III.

That same evening, in Mr. Matthew Wesley's parlour, Johnson's Court,
Captain Bewes told the whole story--or so much of it as he knew.
The disappearance from on board his ship of a person so important as
Mr. Samuel Annesley touched his prospects in the Company's service,
and he did not conceal it. He had already reported the affair at the
East India House a