“Glad to welcome you, my lad. I saw that the ‘Ione’ had arrived and was to be paid off, so was looking out for you; but where is Ned? I thought you would have come down together.”
Now came the moment Charley had dreaded.
“I will tell you how it happened, sir, directly, but Ned is not with us. I don’t believe he is lost, and no one saw him dead; but the Arabs got hold of him, and he has not since turned up.”
“What! hasn’t he come home with you?” exclaimed the lieutenant. “You don’t mean to say that our Ned is dead?”
“No, sir; but he’s lost, and we don’t know what has become of him,” and Charley then gave a full account of all that had occurred.
The old lieutenant listened attentively. “Poor Sally! poor Mary!” he murmured, as, leaning on Charley’s shoulder, he walked back to the house. “It will well-nigh break their hearts to hear that he is dead, but I for one won’t believe it; I tell you, Meadows, I can’t believe it,” his voice growing more husky as he spoke. “I expect to see Ned a commander before I die; he is sure to get on in the service. Sally won’t believe it either; she’s got too much good sense for that. Come along, however, you shall tell her and Mary about it, for I have not taken in all the particulars.”
The lieutenant stumped on, but Charley felt the hand which rested on his shoulder press more and more heavily. They together entered the parlour, where Miss Sarah and Mary were seated.
“Ned, Ned!” cried Miss Sally, mistaking him for her nephew; but she quickly saw her mistake, while Mary knew him at once.
“Where is Ned?” they both inquired, after they had shaken hands, Mary looking up into his face with an inquiring glance.
“He hasn’t come home with us,” said Charley, “and Mr Pack will tell you what I have told him.”