"Yes."
"Very well; if you can overtake Mr. Whippleton, and get Julia Lord to go with us, I shall be satisfied."
"Certainly; Julia will be very glad to sail with you."
"But the clerk must go."
That meant me; and as they intended to overtake Mr. Whippleton as soon as possible; the arrangement suited me. The junior partner of our firm was my "objective" just now, and I did not intend to lose sight of him until he had disgorged his ill-gotten gains.
"Will you go with us, Phil?" asked Ben Waterford, pleasantly.
"I shall be very happy to do so, if you will put me in the way of seeing Mr. Whippleton. I have very important business with him," I replied.
"We shall join him at once," added he, as he hauled the Marian up to the shore.
While he assisted Miss Collingsby to her seat, I hoisted the mainsail, and in a few moments we were standing out of the river.