“You don’t like Gordon, do you?” O’Neil queried with a change of tone.

“I do not!  He went up with me again this spring, and he had his widow with him, too.”

“His widow?”

“You know who I mean—­Mrs. Gerard.  They say it’s her money he’s using in his schemes.  Perhaps it’s because of her that I don’t like him.”

“Ah-h!  I see.”

“You don’t see, or you wouldn’t grin like an ape.  I’m a married man, I’ll have you know, and I’m still on good terms with Mrs. Brennan, thank God.  But I don’t like men who use women’s money, and that’s just what our friend Gordon is doing.  What money the widow didn’t put up he’s grabbed from the schoolma’ams and servant-girls and society matrons in the East.  What has he got to show them for it?”

“A railroad project, a copper-mine, some coal claims—­”

“Bah!  A menagerie of wildcats!”

“You can’t prove that.  What’s your reason for distrusting him?”

“Well, for one thing, he knows too much.  Why, he knows everything, he does.  Art, literature, politics, law, finance, and draw poker have no secrets from him.  He’s been everywhere—­and back—­twice; he speaks a dozen different languages.  He out-argued me on poultry-raising and I know more about that than any man living.  He can handle a drill or a coach-and-four; he can tell all about the art of ancient Babylon; and he beat me playing cribbage, which shows that he ain’t on the level.  He’s the best-informed man outside of a university, and he drinks tea of an afternoon—­with his legs crossed and the saucer balanced on his heel.  Now, it takes years of hard work for an honest man to make a success at one thing, but Gordon never failed at anything.  I ask you if a living authority on all the branches of human endeavor and a man who can beat me at ‘crib’ doesn’t make you suspicious.”

“Not at all.  I’ve beaten you myself!”

“I was sick,” said Captain Brennan.

“The man is brilliant and well educated and wealthy.  It’s only natural that he should excite the jealousy of a weaker intellect.”

Johnny opened his lips for an explosion, then changed his mind and agreed sourly.

“He’s got money, all right, and he knows how to spend it.  He and his valet occupied three cabins on this ship.  They say his quarters at Hope are palatial.”

“My dear grampus, the mere love of luxury doesn’t argue that a person is dishonest.”

“Would you let a hired man help you on with your underclothes?” demanded the mariner.

“There’s nothing criminal about it.”

“Humph!  Mrs. Gerard is different.  She’s all class!  You don’t mind her having a maid and speaking French when she runs short of English.  Her daughter is like her.”

“I haven’t seen Miss Gerard.”

“If you’d stir about the ship instead of wearing out my Morris chair you’d have that pleasure.  She was on deck all morning.”  Captain Brennan fell silent and poked with a stubby forefinger at the ice in his glass.