mind was difficult to gauge; perhaps there was not much, perhaps he regarded his remarks as a form of courtly badinage. But there is little doubt that Hadden resented them. He had even risen from his place, and the conference was on the point of breaking up, when a new voice joined suddenly in the conversation.
The cabman sat with his back turned upon the party smoking a meerschaum pipe. Not a word of Tommy's eloquence had missed him, and he now faced suddenly about with these amazing words:—
“Excuse me, gentlemen; if you'll buy me the ship I want, I'll get you the trade on credit.” There was a pause.
“Well, what do you, mean?” gasped Tommy.
“Better tell 'em who I am, Billy,” said the cabman.
“Think it safe, Joe?” inquired Mr. Bostock.
“I'll take my risk of it,” returned the cabman.
“Gentlemen,” said Bostock, rising solemnly, “let me make you acquainted with Captain Wicks of the Grace Darling.”
“Yes, gentlemen, that is what I am,” said the cabman. “You know I've been in trouble; and I don't deny but what I struck the blow, and where was I to get evidence of my provocation? So I turned to and took a cab, and I've driven one for three year now and nobody the wiser.”
“I beg your pardon,” said Carthew, joining almost for the first time; “I'm a new chum. What was the charge?”
“Murder,” said Captain Wicks, “and I don't deny but what I struck the blow. And there's no sense in my trying to deny I was afraid to go to trial, or why would I be here? But it's a fact it was flat mutiny. Ask Billy here. He knows how it was.”
Carthew breathed long; he had a strange, half-pleasurable sense of wading deeper in the
