Charlie gloomed for a moment or two, thinking it over, while I stood aloof with an injured air.
"Right-O," agreed Charlie at last; so our passenger and I thereupon withdrew for our conference.
It was soon over, and I couldn't help laughing aloud at the simplicity of it all.
"Just as I told you, Charlie," I exclaimed; "it's innocence itself." Turning to the lad, I said: "Dear boy, there is really no need to keep such a small secret as that from the skipper here. You'll really have to let me tell him."
The boy nodded acquiescence.
"All the same, I gave my word," he said
When I told Charlie the innocent secret, he laughed as I had done, and his usual good humour instantly returned.
"But to think, you young scapegrace," he exclaimed, "that you might either have been eaten by a shark, or have broken up an old friendship, for such nonsense as that." And, turning to me, and stretching out his huge paw, "My hand, old man; forgive my bad temper."
"Mine too," said I.
So harmony was restored, and the stubbornly held secret had merely amounted to this: Our lad was acquainted with my conchologist, and had paid him a visit the very afternoon I did, had in fact seen me leaving the house. Answering to the boy's romantic talk of buried treasure and so forth, the shell enthusiast had thought no harm to tell him of our projected trip; and that was the whole of the mysterious matter.