Captain Patterdale wanted to talk with Laud, but he did not like to excite any suspicions on his part. If the young man had taken the box he would not be likely to go off on an island to stay over Sunday. Besides, it was evident from the position of the boat, and the fact that it contained several articles necessary for a fishing excursion, in addition to those in the basket, that Laud had made his arrangements for the trip before he visited the library of the elegant mansion. If he had taken the box, he would probably have changed his plans. It was not likely, therefore, that Laud was the guilty party.
"Are you going alone?" asked the captain, walking down the beach to the boat.
"Yes, sir; I couldn't get any one to go with me. I tried Don John, but he won't go off to stay over Sunday," replied Laud, with a sickly grin.
"I commend his example to you. I don't think it is a good way to spend Sunday."
"It's the only time I can get to go. I've been trying to got off for a month."
"Saturday must be a bad time for you to leave," suggested the captain.
"It is rather bad," added Laud, as he shoved off the bow of the boat, for he seemed to be in haste to get away.
"By the way, Laud, did you notice a tin box in my library when you were there this afternoon?" asked the nabob, with as much indifference in his manner and tone as he could command.
"A tin box?" repeated Laud, busying himself with the jib of the sail-boat.
"Yes; it was painted green."