That gentleman jumped to his feet in great trepidation. What had he been saying?
“Oh—why—I believe I was reading aloud. I get so interested in those books you were telling me about—the ones the Captain read so much, you know, that I read aloud before I think.”
Miss Katherine seated herself and motioned to Mr. Murphy to do the same. She picked up the book which had fallen in the reader’s surprise.
“Treasure Island! That is a most delightful book. I am so glad you enjoy it. I do think that a man who can, as it were, live these adventures with Stevenson’s characters is as delightful and interesting a person as,—as even old John Silver himself,” said Miss Katherine with enthusiasm.
“A-hem,” Mr. Murphy cleared his throat and rubbed his chin. “Do you like John Silver?”
“I think he’s just fascinating, don’t you?” returned Miss Katherine.
“Exactly, Miss Boulby. Fascinating’s the word I was hunting for just before you came up. But it’s the subject of the book itself that fetches me. I was always after hidden treasure, Captain Kidd’s and so on. I don’t suppose you were ever taken that way?”
Miss Katherine looked at her questioner out of the corner of her eye, but he was gazing abstractedly over the water.
“Well, yes, I must confess that I have been rather interested in hidden treasures. But, of course, I have never done any actual hunting as I have never had any clues. But I should think it would be very interesting. Did you mean that you have actually sought a specific treasure?”
“Not exactly that,” explained Mr. Murphy, “at least not till I came here.”