. But what? Cathcart says that nothing whatever has been
taken, as far as he can see at present."

I was perfectly silent. It is not every man who would have been so in my
place, but I was. I know when to hold my tongue, thank Heaven!

Presently the others came in, all full of the same subject, and then
suddenly I remembered that it was getting late; and there was a bustle
and a leave-taking, and I had to post off before I could hear more. Not,
however, that there was much more to hear, for everything seemed to be
in the greatest confusion, and every species of conjecture was afloat as
to the real criminal, and the motive for the crime. I had not much time
to think of anything during the first day on board; yet, busy as I was
in arranging and rearranging my things, poor old Sir John never seemed
quite absent from my mind. His image, as I had last seen him, constantly
rose before me, and the hoarse whisper was forever sounding in my ears,
"I'm watched! I know I'm watched!" I could not get him out of my head. I
was unable to sleep the first night I was on board, and, as the long
hours wore on, I always seemed to see the pale searching eyes of the
dead man; and above the manifold noises of the steamer, and the
perpetual lapping of the calm water against my ear, came the whisper,
"I'm watched! I know I'm watched!"

CHAPTER II.

I was all right next day. I suppose I had had what women call _nerves_.
I never knew what nerves meant before, because no two women I ever met
seemed to have the same kind. If it is slamming a door that upsets one
woman's nerves, it may be coming in on tiptoe that will upset another's.
You never can tell. But I am sure it was nerves with me that first
night; I know I have never felt so queer since. Oh yes I have,
though--once. I was forgetting; but I have not come to that yet.

We had a splendid passage home. Most of the passengers were in good
spirits at the thought of seeing England again, and even the children
were not so troublesome as I have known them. I soon made friends with
some of the nicest people, for I generally make friends easily. I do not
know how I do it, but I always seem to know what people really are at
first sight. I always was rather a judge of character.

There was one man on board whom I took a great fancy to from the first.
He was a young American, travelling about, as Americans do, to see the
world. I forget where he had come from--though I believe he told me--o