"At least," I thought, "he can't come below now."
The steward, when I appeared, raised his eyebrows and almost dropped his tray; then he paused in the door, inconspicuously, as if to linger. But Captain Whidden glanced round and dismissed him by a sharp nod, and I found myself alone in the cabin with the captain, Mr. Thomas, and Roger Hamlin.
"I understand there's news forward, Lathrop," said Captain Whidden.
Roger looked at me with that humorous, exasperating twinkle of his eyes,—I thought of my sister and of how she had looked when she learned that he was to sail for Canton,—and Mr. Thomas folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.
"Yes, sir," I replied, "although it seems pretty unimportant to be worth much as news."
"Tell us about it."
To all that I had gathered from Bill Hayden I added what I had learned by my own observations, and it seemed to interest them, although for my own part I doubted whether it was of much account.
"Has any one approached you directly about these things?" Captain Whidden asked when I was through.
"No, sir."
"Have you heard any one say just what this little group is trying to accomplish, or just when it is going to act?"