"H'm!" said Sir Denzil disappointedly, as he climbed the stairs again--"a good chance missed! D--d fools all! . . . I wonder if Lady Susan's mother would have kept as quiet a face! . . . Well . . . The deuce take one of them! . . . Which doesn't matter."
Young Seth waited till the tide washed up over the quicksand, and then with assistance from the village dragged the Gracie back to life and trundled her forlornly home. And Sir Denzil sent him out a guinea by Mr. Kennet--not for saving Jim's life, but for bringing back the means whereby one or other of his grandsons might still possibly come to a sudden end.
Jim, for the first time since he began to remember things, lay in bed for three whole days, but, thanks to Mrs. Lee's anointings and rubbings, suffered no further ill-effects from his adventure--except, indeed, many a horrible nightmare, in which he was perpetually sinking down into the clinging sands, with his hands and feet fast bound and the scum running into his mouth; from which he would awake with a howl which always woke Jack with a start, and the ensuing scrimmage had in it all the joy of new life.
Eager, when he hurried up to see Jim and hear all about it, exacted a promise from them both never to sail the Gracie single-handed again, and was satisfied the promise would be kept.
Sir Denzil, hearing he was there, sent for him, and received him as usual.
"Well, Mr. Eager, you came near to solving the puzzle for us."
"I can't tell you how sorry I am, sir----"
"Yes, 'twas a good chance missed. If that fool Rimmer had only let Providence work out its own ends----"
"Thank God, he was on the spot, or I'd never have forgiven myself. Providence will see to the matter in its own time and in its own way, Sir Denzil, and neither you nor I can help or thwart it."
"I'm not so sure of that. If I had my way now----"