“Bless him!” he said, fervently, a little
later, as the captain’s foot was heard heavily
on the stair. “Does he think we are deaf?”
Much to the surprise of their friends, who had not
expected them home until November or December, telegrams
were received from the adventurers, one day towards
the end of September, announcing that they had landed
at the Albert Docks and were on their way home by
the earliest train. The most agreeable explanation
of so short a voyage was that, having found the treasure,
they had resolved to return home by steamer, leaving
the Fair Emily to return at her leisure. But
Captain Bowers, to whom Mrs. Chalk propounded this
solution, suggested several others.
He walked down to the station in the evening to see
the train come in, his curiosity as to the bearing
and general state of mind of the travellers refusing
to be denied. He had intended to witness the
arrival from a remote corner of the platform, but
to his surprise it was so thronged with sightseers
that the precaution was unnecessary. The news
of the return had spread like wildfire, and half Binchester
had congregated to welcome their fellow-townsmen and
congratulate them upon their romantically acquired
wealth.
[Illustration: “Half Binchester had congregated
to welcome their fellow-townsmen.”]
Despite the crowd the captain involuntarily shrank
back as the train rattled into the station.
The carriage containing the travellers stopped almost
in front of him, and their consternation and annoyance
at the extent of their reception were plainly visible.
Bronzed and healthy-looking, they stepped out on
to the platform, and after a brief greeting to Mrs.
Chalk and Mrs. Stobell led the way in some haste to
the exit. The crowd pressed close behind, and
inquiries as to the treasure and its approximate value
broke clamorously upon the ears of the maddened Mr.
Stobell. Friends of many years who sought for
particulars were shouldered aside, and it was left
to Mr. Chalk, who struggled along in the rear with
his wife, to announce that they had been shipwrecked.
Captain Bowers, who had just caught the word, heard
the full particulars from him next day. For
once the positions were reversed, and Mr. Chalk, who
had so often sat in that room listening to the captain’s
yarns, swelled with pride as he noted the rapt fashion
in which the captain listened to his. The tale
of the shipwreck he regarded as a disagreeable necessity:
a piece of paste flaunting itself among gems.
In a few words he told how the Fair Emily
crashed on to a reef in the middle of the night, and
how, owing to the darkness and confusion, the boat
into which he had got with Stobell and Tredgold was
cast adrift; how a voice raised to a shriek cried
to them to pull away, and how a minute afterwards the
schooner disappeared with all hands.
“It almost unnerved me,” he said, turning
to Miss Drewitt, who was listening intently.
