“The poor critter!” he exclaimed. “What did you do?”
“The last I saw of him he was sitting in the mud, looking at the upset. I didn’t linger. Peters took the wheel, and we beat it. Lucky the cop didn’t spot the license number. Might have cost me fifty. They’ve had me up for speeding twice before. What are you and the Admiral discussing, Sylvester?”
“We were discussing a business matter,” answered the lawyer, with significant emphasis.
“Business? Why, sure! I forgot that you were Graves’s partner. Settling the family affairs, hey? Well, I won’t butt in. Ta, ta! See you later, Captain. You must go for a spin in that car of mine. I’ll call for you some day. I’ll show you something they don’t do on Cape Cod. Regards to Caro and Steve.”
He moved off, feeling that his invitation would have met with his mother’s approval. She had announced that the country uncle was to be “cultivated.”
Captain Elisha’s cigar had gone out. He did not attempt to relight it.
“Whew!” he whistled. “Well, when I go for a ‘spin,’ as he calls it, with him, I cal’late my head’ll be spinnin’ so I won’t be responsible for my actions. Whew!”
Sylvester looked curiously at him.
“So you met him before?” he asked.
“Yes. He was at the rooms when I fust landed. Or his mother was there then. He came a little later with Caroline and Stephen.”