Thus talking, they all became hungry; and by the time they had finished the nice little supper that Wolfe’s mother prepared for them, and were ready to go to bed, it was long past midnight.
Breeze had been told one thing that evening that troubled him greatly, and it was that, in case he had not been found, Lord Seabright, who was now the executor of Sir Wolfe’s estate, would have inherited it. He could not bear the thought of thus stepping in and claiming a property that would otherwise belong to one who had shown him such great kindness.
It was this thought that caused him to assent rather reluctantly, when, after a late breakfast the next morning, Wolfe proposed that they should go on board the Saga, and see if her owner had rejoined her. At any rate, he said, he would like exceedingly to visit the yacht, and to renew his acquaintance with Nimbus.
When they reached the landing-place, the shrill sound of the silver whistle that Breeze carried soon brought a boat from the yacht to them; and as they were rowed off Breeze was relieved to learn that Lord Seabright had not arrived.
Wolfe was astonished, as well as delighted, with all that was shown him on board the beautiful craft; but nothing pleased him so much as the meeting with Nimbus, to whom he had taken a great fancy during their one day’s acquaintance on board the Esmeralda.
Nimbus was just lifting down a pan of flour from a high shelf as Wolfe appeared, unannounced, at the galley door. The black man started so violently at the sudden sight of one whom he supposed to be on the other side of the ocean that the pan of flour was upset, and he was instantly covered from head to foot as with a mantle of snow. Quickly recovering his presence of mind, the good-natured cook exclaimed,
“Golly! Misto Wolfe Brady. You scare um pore brack man so he turn white! Where you leab um ole Esmeral’ an’ de cap’n?”
Amid his shouts of laughter at the negro’s comical appearance, Wolfe helped to brush him off, and at the same time explained his own presence on board the Saga.
After a lunch, which Nimbus insisted upon getting for them, the young men returned to the city. As they were walking up the main business street, a carriage that was driven rapidly towards them suddenly drew up, and a cheery voice called out, “Hello, McCloud!”
It was Lord Seabright, who had just arrived, and was on his way to the yacht. He asked Breeze if his companion were the friend whom he had expected to meet. When Breeze answered that he was, and that his name was Wolfe Brady, the other exclaimed, “What! not the son of the Brady who used to be butler to Sir Wolfe Tresmont? I believe he did come to Queenstown to open some kind of a shop.”