For the remainder of the afternoon his yacht's deck was crowded with his friends, all of whom expressed the hope that it might not be very long before he was amongst them once more.
To these kind speeches Carne invariably offered a smiling reply.
"I also trust it will not be long," he answered. "I have enjoyed my visit immensely, and you may be sure I shall never forget it as long as I live."
An hour later the anchor was weighed, and his yacht was steaming out of the harbor amid the scene of intense enthusiasm. As the Prime Minister had that afternoon informed him, in the public interest, the excitement of his departure was dividing the honors of the burglary of the Emperor of Westphalia's gold plate.
Carne stood beside his captain on the bridge, watching the little fleet of yachts until his eyes could no longer distinguish them. Then he turned to Belton, who had just joined him, and, placing his hand upon his shoulder, said:
"So much for our life in England, Belton, my friend. It has been glorious fun, and no one can deny that from a business point of view it has been eminently satisfactory. You, at least, should have no regrets."
"None whatever," answered Belton. "But I must confess I should like to know what they will say when the truth comes out."
Carne smiled sweetly as he answered:
"I think they'll say that, all things considered, I have won the right to call myself 'A Prince of Swindlers.'"
THE END.