“Youweresayingjustnowyoudidn’tunderstand，“hewentonslowly，withoutlookingup；“soyoumusttakeyourownbearingsfromwhatI’mtellingyou。WhenImetyouthatnightIhadjustarrivedfromMelbourne。IhadbeenluckyinsometradingspeculationsIhadoutthere，andIhadsomebillswithme，butnomoneyexceptwhatIhadtuckedintheskinofthatportmanteauandafewpapersconnectedwithmyfamilyathome。WhenamanlivestherovingkindoflifeIhave，helearnstokeepallthathecaresforunderhisownhat，andisn’tapttoblabtofriends。ButitgotoutinsomewayonthevoyagethatIhadmoney，andastherewasamixedlotof’Sydneyducks’and’ticketofleavemen’onboard，itseemstheyhatchedanicelittleplottowaylaymeonthewharfonlanding，robme，anddropmeintodeepwater。Tomakeitseemlesssuspicious，theyassociatedthemselveswithalotofcrimpswhowereonthelookoutforoursailors，whoweregoingashorethatnighttoo。I’dmysuspicionsthatacoupleofthosemenmightbewaitingformeattheendofthewharf。Ilefttheshipjustaminuteortwobeforethesailorsdid。ThenImetyou。
　　Thatmeeting，mylad，wasmyfirststeptowardsalvation。Forthetwomenletyoupasswithmyportmanteau，whichtheydidn’trecognize，asIknewtheywouldME，andsupposedyouwereastranger，andlaylow，waitingforme。I，whowentintothegin-
　　millwiththeothersailors，wasfoolishenoughtodrink，andwasdruggedandcrimpedastheywere。Ihadn’tthoughtofthat。A
　　poordevilofaticketofleaveman，aboutmysize，wasknockeddownforme，and，“headded，suppressingalaugh，“willbeburied，deeplylamented，inthechancelofDorntonChurch。Whiletherowwasgoingon，theskipper，fearingtoloseothermen，warpedoutintothestream，andsoknewnothingofwhathappenedtome。Whentheyfoundwhattheythoughtwasmybody，hewaswillingtoidentifyitinthehopethatthecrimemightbechargedtothecrimps，andsodidtheothersailorwitnesses。ButmybrotherBill，whohadjustarrivedherefromCallao，wherehehadbeenhuntingforme，hushedituptopreventascandal。Allthesame，Billmighthaveknownthebodywasn’tmine，eventhoughhehadn’tseenmeforyears。“
　　“Butitwasfrightfullydisfigured，sothatevenI，whosawyouonlyonce，couldnothaveswornitwasNOTyou，“saidRandolphquickly。
　　“Humph！“saidCaptainDorntonmusingly。“Billmayhaveactedonthesquare——thoughhewasinad——dhurry。“
　　“But，“saidRandolpheagerly，“youwillputanendtoallthisnow。
　　Youwillassertyourself。Youhavewitnessestoproveyouridentity。“
　　“Steady，lad，“saidthecaptain，wavinghispipegently。“OfcourseIhave。But“——hestopped，laiddownhispipe，andputhishandsdoggedlyinhispockets——“ISITWORTHIT？“SeeingthelookofamazementinRandolph’sface，helaughedhislowlaugh，andsettledhimselfbackinhischairagain。“No，“hesaidquietly，“ifitwasn’tformyson，andwhat’sduehimasmyheir，Isuppose——
　　IreckonI’djustchuckthewholed——dthing。“
　　“What！“saidRandolph。“Giveuptheproperty，thetitle，thefamilyhonor，thewrongdonetoyourreputation，thepunishment“——
　　Hehesitated，fearinghehadgonetoofar。
　　CaptainDorntonwithdrewhispipefromhismouthwithagestureofcaution，andholdingitup，said:“Steady，lad。We’llcometoTHAT
　　byandby。Astothepropertyandtitle，IcutandrunfromTHEM
　　tenyearsago。Tometheymeantonlytheoldthing——thelifeofacountrygentleman，thehunting，theshooting，thewholebeastlybusinessthattheland，overthere，hangslikeamillstoneroundyourneck。Theymeantallthistome，wholovedadventureandtheseafrommycradle。Icuttheproperty，forIhatedit，andIhateitstill。IfIwentbackIshouldheartheseacallingmedayandnight；Ishouldfeelthebreathofthesouthwesttradesineverywindthatblewoverthattightlittleislandyonder；Ishouldbealwaysscentingtheoldtrail，lad，thetrailthatleadsstraightoutoftheGatetoswoopdowntotheSouthSeas。Doyouthinkamanwhohasfelthisship’sbowsheaveandplungeunderhiminthelongPacificswell——justaheadofhimareefbreakingwhiteintothelagoon，andbeyondafenceoffeatherypalms——carestofollowhoundsovergrayhedgesunderagrayNovembersky？Andthesociety？Amanwho’sgotaspeakingacquaintanceineveryportfromAcapulcotoMelbourne，whoknowseverydenandeverylongshoremaninitfromaSouthAmericantiendatoaSamoanbeach-
　　comber’shut，——whatdoeshewantwithsociety？“HepausedasRandolph’seyeswerefixedwonderinglyonthefirstsignofemotiononhisweather-beatenface，whichseemedforamomenttoglowwiththestrengthandfreshnessofthesea，andthensaid，withalaugh:
　　“Youstare，lad。Well，foralltheDorntonsareratherproudoftheirfamily，likeasnottherewassomebeastlyoldDanishpirateamongthemlongago，andI’vegotatasteofhisbloodinme。ButI’mnotquiteasbadasthatyet。“
　　Helaughed，andcarelesslywenton:“Astothefamilyhonor，I
　　don’tseethatitwillbehelpedbymyrippingupthewholethingandperhapsshowingthatBillwasalittletoopreviousinidentifyingme。Astomyreputation，thatwasgoneafterIlefthome，andifIhadn’tbeenthelegalheirtheywouldn’thavebotheredtheirheadsaboutme。Myfatherhadgivenmeuplongago，andthereisn’taman，woman，orchildthatwouldn’tnowwelcomeBillinmyplace。“
　　“Thereisonewhowouldn’t，“saidRandolphimpulsively。
　　“YoumeanCarolineAvondale？“saidCaptainDorntondryly。
　　Randolphcolored。“No；ImeanMissEversleigh，whowaswithyourbrother。“
　　CaptainDorntonreflected。“Tobesure！SibylEversleigh！I
　　haven’tseenhersinceshewassohigh。Iusedtocallhermylittlesweetheart。SoSybbyrememberedCousinJackandcametofindhim？Butwhendidyoumeether？“heaskedsuddenly，asifthiswastheonlydetailofthepastwhichhadescapedhim，fixinghisfrankeyesuponRandolph。
　　TheyoungmanrecountedatsomelengththedinnerpartyatDingwall’s，hisconversationwithMissEversleigh，andhisinterviewwithSirWilliam，butspokelittleofMissAvondale。Tohissurprise，thecaptainlistenedsmilingly，andonlysaid:“ThatwaslikeBillytotakeariseoutofyoubypretendingyouweresuspected。That’shisway——alittleroughwhenyoudon’tknowhimandhe’sgotalittlegrogamidships。Allthesame，I’dhavegivensomethingtohaveheardhim’running’you，whenallthewhileyouhadthebiggestbulgeonhim，onlyneitherofyouknewit。“Helaughedagain，untilRandolph，amazedathislevityandindifference，losthispatience。
　　“Doyouknow，“hesaidbluntly，“thattheydon’tbelieveyouwerelegallymarried？“
　　ButCaptainDorntononlycontinuedtolaugh，until，seeinghiscompanion’shorrifiedface，hebecamedemure。“IsupposeBilldidn’t，forBillhadsenseenoughtoknowthatotherwisehewouldhavetotakeabackseattoBobby。“
　　“ButdidMissAvondaleknowyouwerelegallymarried，andthatyoursonwastheheir？“askedRandolphbluntly。
　　“Shehadnoreasontosuspectotherwise，althoughweweremarriedsecretly。Shewasanoldfriendofmywife，notparticularlyofmine。“
　　Randolphsatbackamazedandhorrified。ThosewereHERownwords。
　　Orwasthismandeceivinghimastheothershad？
　　Butthecaptain，eyinghimcuriously，butstillamusedly，added:“I
　　eventhoughtofbringingherasoneofmywitnesses，until“——
　　“Untilwhat？“askedRandolphquickly，ashesawthecaptainhadhesitated。
　　“UntilIfoundshewasn’ttobetrusted；untilIfoundshewastoothickwithBill，“saidthecaptainbluntly。“Andnowshe’sgonetoEnglandwithhimandtheboy，Isupposeshe’llmakehimcometoterms。“
　　“Cometoterms？“echoedRandolph。“Idon’tunderstand。“Yethehadaninstinctivefearthathedid。
　　“Well，“saidthecaptainslowly，“supposeshemightpreferthechanceofbeingthewifeofagrown-upbaronettobeingthegovernessofonewhowasonlyaminor？She’sacutegirl，“headdeddryly。
　　“But，“saidRandolphindignantly，“youhaveotherwitnesses，I
　　hope。“
　　“OfcourseIhave。I’vegottheSpanishrecordsnowfromtheCallaopriest，andthey’reputinasafeplaceshouldanythinghappentome——ifanythingcouldhappentoadeadman！“headdedgrimly。“TheseproofswereallIwaswaitingforbeforeImadeupmymindwhetherIshouldblowthewholething，orletitslide。“
　　Randolphlookedagainwithamazementatthisstrangemanwhoseemedsoindifferenttotheclaimsofwealth，position，andeventorevenge。Itseemedinconceivable，andyethecouldnothelpbeingimpressedwithhisperfectsincerity。Hewasrelieved，however，whenCaptainDorntonrosewithapparentreluctanceandputawayhispipe。
　　“Nowlookhere，mylad，I’mrightgladtohaveoverhauledyouagain，whateverhappenedorisgoingtohappen，andthere’smyhanduponit！Now，tocometobusiness。I’mgoingovertoEnglandonthisjob，andIwantyoutocomeandhelpme。“
　　Randolph’sheartleaped。Theappealrevivedallhisoldboyishenthusiasm，withhissecretloyaltytothemanbeforehim。Buthesuddenlyrememberedhispastillusions，andforaninstanthehesitated。
　　“Butthebank，“hestammered，scarceknowingwhattosay。
　　Thecaptainsmiled。“Iwillpayyoubetterthanthebank；andattheendoffourmonths，inwhateverwaythisjobturnsout，ifyoustillwishtoreturnhere，Iwillseethatyouaresecuredfromanyloss。Perhapsyoumaybeabletogetaleaveofabsence。Butyourrealobjectmustbekeptasecretfromeveryone。NotawordofmyexistenceormypurposemustbeblownbeforeIamready。YouandJackRedhillareallthatknowitnow。“
　　“Butyouhavealawyer？“saidthesurprisedRandolph。
　　“Notyet。I’mmyownlawyerinthismatteruntilIgetfairlyunderway。I’vestudiedthelawenoughtoknowthatassoonasI