It was on the very morning which preceded that evening when Sir Francis Varney called upon Charles Holland in the manner we have related, with the gratifying news that, upon certain conditions, he might be released, that Flora Bannerworth, when the admiral came to see them, spoke to him of Charles Holland, saying,—­

“Now, sir, that I am away from Bannerworth Hall, I do not, and cannot feel satisfied; for the thought that Charles may eventually come back, and seek us there, still haunts me.  Fancy him, sir, doing so, and seeing the place completely deserted.”

“Well, there’s something in that,” said the admiral; “but, however, he’s hardly such a goose, if it were so to happen, to give up the chase—­he’d find us out somehow.”

“You think he would, sir? or, do you not think that despair would seize upon him, and that, fancying we had all left the spot for ever, he might likewise do so; so that we should lose him more effectually than we have done at present?”

“No; hardly,” said the admiral; “he couldn’t be such a goose as that.  Why, when I was of his age, if I had secured the affections of a young girl like you, I’d have gone over all the world, but I’d have found out where she was; and what I mean to say is, if he’s half such a goose as you think him, he deserves to lose you.”

“Did you not tell me something, sir, of Mr. Chillingworth talking of taking possession of the Hall for a brief space of time?”

“Why, yes, I did; and I expect he is there now; in fact, I’m sure he’s there, for he said he would be.”

“No, he ain’t,” said Jack Pringle, at that moment entering the room; “you’re wrong again, as you always are, somehow or other.”

“What, you vagabond, are you here, you mutinous rascal?”—­“Ay, ay, sir; go on; don’t mind me.  I wonder what you’d do, sir, if you hadn’t somebody like me to go on talking about”

“Why, you infernal rascal, I wonder what you’d do if you had not an indulgent commander, who puts up even with real mutiny, and says nothing about it.  But where have you been?  Did you go as I directed you, and take some provisions to Bannerworth Hall?”

“Yes, I did; but I brought them back again; there’s nobody there, and don’t seem likely to be, except a dead body.”

“A dead body!  Whose body can that be!”—­“Tom somebody; for I’m d——­d if it ain’t a great he cat.”

“You scoundrel, how dare you alarm me in such a way?  But do you mean to tell me that you did not see Dr. Chillingworth at the Hall?”—­“How could I see him, if he wasn’t there?”

“But he was there; he said he would be there.”—­“Then he’s gone again, for there’s nobody there that I know of in the shape of a doctor.  I went through every part of the ship—­I mean the house—­and the deuce a soul could I find; so as it was rather lonely and uncomfortable, I came away again.  ‘Who knows,’ thought I, ’but some blessed vampyre or another may come across me.’”