“At this moment, I cannot fix the day on which I hope to see you, as it will depend upon the arrival of a steamer with two passengers on board from the Cape. With kind regards to yourself and Miss Dove,—I remain, faithfully yours,
“William Goodall.”
“I think after that letter,” said the squire, “we shall have to await philosophically the full tide of events. In the meantime, I shall be glad to know, Edith, if you have heard anything from Lucy that will throw any more light on the situation.”
“Well, my dear father, Lucy did not think that Trigger knew what was his master’s real aim in ascending. He must have been hurrying on the preparations for what appeared to be a complete voyage of discovery. But she had no hint from Trigger, and the gamekeeper could not fathom what their objects were or their destination.”
“No, I don’t suppose they had,” said the squire.
“But it must have been something, papa, beyond the mere drying process, as they were equipped as if for an aggressive expedition.”
“I do hope, dear,” said Miss Chain, “that you were wrongly informed there. They might have had instruments for observations and meteorological research.”
“Oh, they had very different implements from what you mention, my dear,” said Miss Dove. “There were strange-looking appliances outside the car, and within there were guns, pistols, an air-gun and I don’t know what besides.”
“Let me,” said the squire, “say a word about that part of the story. Bennet explained that he had provided firearms in case any attack was made on the balloon by night, and these weapons were for safety placed in the car; but when Mr Goodall resolved upon baulking the doctor’s curiosity, he would not wait to have the balloon pulled down for that purpose, and I think, under the circumstances, Harry was right to slip cable, for the doctor might have terrified you more by any reference to the firearms than he did by his message that a balloon had been seen going out to sea.”
“Tell me, Miss Chain, were there firearms in the car when you ascended from Sydenham?”