Until to-day?'

"'Yes. The man I saw on the beach was Miss Felicia's gardener, John
Emmet. He has shaved his beard; but I'll swear to him.'

"All that Dick could do was to pull the pipe from his mouth and give a
long whistle. 'But what do you make of it?' he asked with a frown.

"'As yet, nothing. Where does the man live?'

"'In a small cottage at the end of the village, just outside the gate of
the kitchen-garden.'

"'Married?'

"'No: a large family lives next door and he pays the eldest girl to do
some odd jobs of housework.'

"'Then to-morrow,' said I, 'I'll pay him a call.'

"'Seen your man?' asked Dick next evening, as we walked up towards the
house, where again we were due for dinner.

"'I have just come from him: and what's more I have a proposition to
make to Miss Felicia, if you and she can spare me an hour this evening.'

"The upshot of our talk was that, a week later, as I drove home from the
station after my long railway journey, John Emmet sat by my side.
He had taken service with me as gardener, and for nine years he served
me well. You'll hardly believe it"--here the Vicar's gaze travelled
over the unkempt flower-beds--"but under John Emmet's hand this garden
of mine was a picture. The fellow would have half a day's work done
before the rest of the parish was out of bed. I never knew a human
creature who needed less sleep--that's not the way to put it, though--
the man _couldn't_ sleep: he had lost the power (so he said) ever since
the night the _Nerbuddha_ struck.

"So it was that every afternoon found the day's work ended in my garden,
and John Emmet, in my sixteen-foot boat, exploring the currents and
soundings about Menawhidden. And almost every day I went with him.
He had become a learner--for the third time in his life; and the
quickest learner (in spite of his years) I have ever known, for his mind
was bent on that single purpose. I should tell you that the Trinity
House had discovered Menawhidden at last and placed the bell-buoy there
--which is and always has been entirely useless: also that the Lifeboat
Institution had listened to some suggestions of mine and were
re-organising the service down at the Porth. And it was now my hope
that John Emmet might become coxswain of the boat as soon as he had
local knowledge to back up the seamanship and aptitude for command in
which I knew him to excel every man in the Porth. There were
jealousies, of course: but he wrangled with n