“But I am his grandson. Is there no one here who can tell me about him?” I exclaimed.
The negro looked at me hard. “Oh yes, there is Mr Ricama, the steward; he will tell you all about the master,” he answered. “Come in, gentlemen, come in.”
The doctor said, however, that he would prefer waiting under the shade of the balcony till invited to enter by the officer in command. I accordingly followed the old black, who showed me into a cool sitting-room, the floors covered with matting, and furnished with cane-bottomed sofas and marble tables, the windows opening to the ground looking out on the sea, whence a delicious breeze came blowing freshly in. In a short time a tall, dark-skinned man, in a light calico dress, and with straw hat in hand, came into the room. He bowed as he entered, and advanced towards me.
“I am the overseer here left in charge by Mr Coventry, whose grandson I understand you are,” he said in very good English. “I shall be glad to do everything you may wish which is in my power.”
“Thank you,” I answered. “First, then, tell me where Mr Coventry is; I am most anxious to see him.”
“That is a very difficult question to answer,” he replied. “I can tell you where he was when I last heard from him; but where he now is I cannot say, and where he may be in another month no man can tell.”
“Where was he then?” I asked eagerly.
“In Ceylon. He purposed remaining some time there, but many months have passed since I last heard of him,” was the answer I received.
Here again was a bitter disappointment. If my grandfather was away, still less likely was I to hear of Alfred. The next question I put to the overseer was about him.
“Yes, a young midshipman had been to visit Mr Coventry, belonging to a ship in Port Louis harbour. He had come once again without his uniform, when he seemed very sad and unhappy. Mr Coventry had spoken kindly to him, and had given him assistance.” What had become of him afterwards, the overseer could not say positively. He had an idea, however, that he had been sent to Ceylon, where Mr Coventry had an estate. That he was not aware if Mr Coventry had again heard of him; but he seemed little troubled by this, as he, Mr Coventry, was himself so eccentric in his movements, and so seldom wrote letters, that he could not be surprised at others altering their plans, or at not writing to him.