"Last night, sir."
"Then why was I not instantly informed?"
"That I can explain, sir."
"Carry on, Mr. Aubyn," rejoined Captain Ramshaw quietly.
As briefly as possible Terence related the circumstances under which he and Raeburn waited for an expected secret interview between the German passenger and Stone, the greaser; how, in the absence of conclusive evidence, the two young officers had decided to keep the result of their investigations to themselves until further developments justified their suspicions.
"I suppose you two were out for kudos?" remarked Captain Ramshaw grimly.
"Oh, no, sir," Aubyn hastened to explain. "We were hoping to witness the meeting between Stone and the German passenger to-night. Then there might be enough evidence to justify an accusation. But the declaration of war has altered matters, sir."
"It has," agreed the "old man." "I have my orders in the event of hostilities. I did not think they would ever be put into force. The Admiralty instructions are that if homeward bound, or within forty-eight hours' steaming of a British port, the ship must make for home waters at full speed. And at present she's as helpless as a log," he added mirthlessly.
Captain Ramshaw had now finished dressing. With his hands behind his back he paced the cabin floor deep in thought.
"Very good, Mr. Aubyn," he continued, after a lengthy pause, "I'll take steps to prevent the news getting amongst the passengers. You and Mr. Raeburn can carry on with your investigations, but I would advise you to have a couple of reliable hands within hail. You can go."