"We had no charts, sir," said Wylie to the merchant, "and I'm no navigator."
"I see no land laid down hereaway, northeast of the spot where the ship went down."
"No," replied Wylie, "that's what the men said when they made me 'bout ship."
"Then why did you lead the way northeast at all?"
"I'm no navigator," answered the man sullenly.
He then suddenly stammered out: "Ask my men what we went through. Why, sir" (to Wardlaw), "I can hardly believe that I am alive, and sit here talking to you about this cursed business. And nobody offers me a drop of anything."
Wardlaw poured him out a tumbler of wine. His brown hand trembled a little, and he gulped the wine down like water.
General Rolleston gave Mr. Wardlaw a look, and Wylie was dismissed. He slouched down the street all in a cold perspiration; but still clinging to his three thousand pounds, though small was now his hope of ever seeing it.
When he was gone General Rolleston paced that large and gloomy room in silence. Wardlaw eyed him with the greatest interest, but avoided speaking to him. At last he stopped short, and stood erect, as veterans halt, and pointed down at the chart.
"I'll start at once for that spot," said he. "I'll go in the next ship bound to Valparaiso: there I'll charter a small vessel, and ransack those waters for some trace of my poor lost girl."