Power, he
asked what had been happening on the _Finola_ at twelve o'clock the
night before.

"I was awakened up," he said, "by the noise of carts going along the
street and I looked out. I could see lights on the yacht and on the
pier. What on earth were you doing at that time of night?"

"Coaling," said Power, shortly.

It was plain to me that he disliked being asked questions. It must
have been plain to Godfrey, too, for he immediately asked another.

"How did you get coal in a place like this?"

"Dear me," said Marion, "how very unromantic! I thought you were
smuggling!"

Godfrey's face assumed an expression of quite unusual intelligence. He
suspected Power of evil practices of some sort. Marion's suggestion
of smuggling delighted him.

"But where did you get the coal?" he persisted.

"My dear Godfrey," I said, "for all you or I know there may be
hundreds of tons of it piled up in the co-operative store. Crossan has
a wonderful business instinct. He may have speculated on a visit from
some large steamer and be making a large profit. I am the principal
shareholder, and nothing pleases me better than to see the store
succeeding."

I knew, as a matter of fact, that Crossan had no coal. I also knew
that the _Finola_ was not coaling. The carts were loaded when they
were going up the hill. They would have been empty if they had been
going to get coal for the _Finola_. I made my remark in the hope of
discouraging Godfrey from asking more questions.

"I wish you would smuggle something," said Marion. "I should love to
have some French lace laid at my door in a bale in the middle of the
night."

Marion reads novels, and the smugglers in these import French lace. In
real life the only people who try to cheat the nation out of its duty
on lace are tourist ladies, and they would not share their spoils with
Marion.

"But why did you coal in the middle of the night?" said Godfrey.

One of Godfrey's most striking characteristics is his persistent
curiosity. There is hardly anything in the world which Godfrey will
not find out if he is given time. A secret has the same attraction for
him that cheese has for a mouse. Some day, I hope, he will find a trap
baited with a seductive mystery.

"We always coal at night," said Power.

"Of course," said Marion, "the dirt shows so much less at night than
it would in daylight."

"But," said Godfrey, "I don't understand why you--"

I rose and said that we must go ashore.