“That’s a lie, anyway.”

“And others will have it as the engagement’s broken off by reason of your losin’ all your money in Johnny Rogers’s smash?”

“And that,” said Cai, “is just as true as the other.  But who says that Rogers has gone smash?”

“Everyone.  I tackled Tabb upon the subject this mornin’, and he couldn’ deny it.  The man’s clean scat.  He’s been speckilatin’ for years:  I always looked for this to be the end, and when they told me the Saltypool wasn’t insured, why, I drew my conclusions.  As I was sayin’ to Cap’n Hunken just now—­”

“Eh? . . .  Where is he?”

“Who?”

“‘Bias Hunken.  You said as you been speakin’ with him—­”

“Ay, to be sure, over his garden wall.  I looked over and saw him weedin’ among the rose-bushes, an’ pulled up to give him the time o’ day.”

“You didn’ tell him about the Saltypool?”

“As it happens, that’s just what I did.  He’d heard she was lost, but he’d no notion Rogers hadn’t taken out an insurance on her, and he seemed quite fetched aback over it.”

“The devil!”

“I’m sorry you feel like that about him.  As I was tellin’ him, when I heard your tap here at the window—­”

“But I don’t—­and I wasn’ tappin’ for you, either.”

“Appears not,” said Mr Philp, with a glance at the empty glass in Cai’s hand.

“Where is he?  Still in the garden, d’ye say?”

“Ay:  somewheres down by the summer-house.  Says I, when I heard you tappin’, ‘That’s Cap’n Hocken,’ says I, ‘signallin’ me to come an wish him joy, an’ maybe to join him in a drink over his luck.  And why not?’ says I.  ‘Stranger things have happened.’”

“You’ll excuse me. . . .  If he’s in his garden, I want a chat with him.”  Cai hurried out to the front door.

“Maybe you’d like me to go with you,” suggested Mr Philp, ready for him.

“Maybe I’d like nothin’ of the sort,” snapped Cai.  “Why should I?”

“Well, if you ask me, he didn’ seem in the best o’ tempers, and it might come handy to take along a witness.”

“No, thank’ee,” said Cai with some asperity.  “You just run along and annoy somebody else.”

He descended the garden, to find ’Bias at the door of his summer-house, seated, and puffing great clouds of tobacco-smoke.

“Good evenin’!”

“Good evenin’,” responded ’Bias in a tone none too hospitable.

“You don’t mind my havin’ a word with you?”

“Not if you’ll make it short.”

“I’ve just come from Philp.  He’s been tellin’ you about the Saltypool, it seems.”

“Well?”

“She was uninsured.”

“And on top o’ that, the fools overloaded her.”

“And ’tis a serious thing for Rogers.”

“Ruination, Philp tells me—­that’s if you choose to believe Philp.”

“I’ve better information than Philp’s, I’m sorry to say.”