"What a delightful evening!" she said, in an affected voice, as the captain walked home with her about an hour later; "I have enjoyed myself tremendously."
The captain uttered an impatient exclamation.
"It reminded me of the old fable of the lion and the mouse," continued Joan.
The captain grunted again, and, in a voice that he vainly endeavoured to render polite, said that he did not know what she was talking about.
[CHAPTER XV]
MR. ROBERT VYNER received the news of Miss Hartley's sudden departure with an air of polite interest. The secrecy of the affair and the fact that she had gone with Captain Trimblett convinced him that it was no casual visit, and he mused bitterly on the strange tendency of seafaring people to meddle with the affairs of others. An attempt to ascertain from Hartley the probable duration of her visit, and other interesting particulars, as they sat together in the young man's office, yielded no satisfaction.
"She made up her mind to go rather suddenly, didn't she?" he inquired.
Hartley said "Yes," and murmured something about taking advantage of the opportunity of going up with Captain Trimblett. "She is very fond of the captain," he added.
"Is she staying near him?" asked Vyner, without looking up from his work.
The chief clerk, who was anxious to get away, said "No," and eyed him uneasily.