“Crispin! Oh, no, I should be afraid.”
“I see, you respect him more than you do me. You think he may smuggle from conscientious conviction? For I may tell you that he is the right hand in all these enterprises, so that they can go on as well without the Captain as with him, if only Crispin is there.”
“I know that.”
She paused a moment and then went on: “I haven’t seen him the last few days. When I do I have something to say to him which will stop his smuggling too, I think.”
“Why, what’s that!”
Freda raised her finger in sign of caution, not without a little air of importance.
“There is a man about here sent by government to look after the smuggling: I’m going to tell him that.”
Dick’s face changed, and became full of excitement and interest.
“Why, how came you to hear of such a thing? Are you sure of it?”
“Quite sure. I have seen him, talked with him. He is a great friend of mine.”