"You remember me?" he said.
"Of course," said Mrs. Hastings, with a trace of sharpness. "Where's Harry?"
The skipper spread a hard hand out, and sat down heavily.
"That," he said, "is what I have to tell you. He asked me to."
"He asked you to?" said Agatha, and though her voice was strained there was relief in it.
The skipper made a little gesture, which seemed to beseech her patience.
"Yes," he said, "if—anything went wrong—he told me I was to come here to Mrs. Hastings."
Agatha turned her head away, but Mrs. Hastings saw the laces which hung beneath her neck sharply rise and fall.
"Then," she said, "something has gone wrong?"
"About as wrong as it could," and Dampier quietly met her gaze. "Wyllard and two other men are drowned."