[Illustration: "Mr. Chalk entered, leading Mr. Stobell."]
"I thought I should find you here," he said, pleasantly, to Edward
Tredgold.
"Why?" demanded Mr. Tredgold, with what Mr. Chalk thought unnecessary
abruptness.
"Well--well, because you generally are here, I suppose," he said,
somewhat taken aback.
Mr. Tredgold favoured him with a scowl, and a somewhat uncomfortable
silence ensued.
"Stobell wanted to see you again," said Mr. Chalk, turning to the
captain. "He's done nothing but talk about you ever since he was here
last."
Captain Bowers said he was glad to see him; Mr. Stobell returned the
courtesy with an odd noise in his throat and a strange glare at Mr.
Chalk.
"I met him to-night," continued that gentleman, "and nothing would do for
him but to come on here."
It was evident from the laboured respiration of the ardent Mr. Stobell,
coupled with a word or two which had filtered through the window, that
the ingenious Mr. Chalk was using him as a stalking-horse. From the fact
that Mr. Stobell made no denial it was none the less evident, despite the
growing blackness of his appearance, that he was a party to the
arrangement.
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