They talked till the dawn crept along the sky.
When at last Alston got up to go, Claude said:
"If three strong wills are worth anything we must succeed."
"And we've got Crayford's back of ours," said Alston, putting his arms behind him into the sleeves of his coat. "Good-morning! I'm really going."
And he went.
Charmian had got up from her sofa, and was standing by the writing-table, which was in an angle of the room on the right of the window. As Alston went out, her eyes fell on an envelope lying by itself a little apart from the letters with which the table was strewn. Scarcely thinking about what she was doing she stretched out her hand. Her intention was to put the envelope with its fellows. But when she took it up she saw that it had not been opened and contained a letter, or note, addressed to Claude.
"Why, here's a letter for you, Claudie!" she said, giving it to him.
"Is there? Another autograph hunter, I suppose."
Without glancing at the writing he tore the envelope, took out a letter, and began to read it.
"It's from Mrs. Shiffney!" he said. "She arrived to-day on the same ship as Gillier."