But Cai, though he obeyed, and stood for a moment in the direct line of their vision, could detect no change in the unwinking eyes.

“Cap’n Hunken will even have it that he hears what’s said, or scraps of it.  But that I don’t believe. . . .  I believe ‘tis but a buzzin’ in his ears, with no sense to it, an’ ‘twould be jus’ the same if we was the band of the R’yal Lifeguards.”

“Well, whether he hears or not, I’ve a piece o’ news for ’Bias Hunken, here. . . .  P’raps he’d like to step outside an’ discuss it?” suggested Cai awkwardly, remembering how he and ’Bias had parted overnight.

“I don’t want to hear anything you can say,” growled ’Bias.

“Oh, yes, you do! . . .  I reckoned as you’d be down here, first thing after breakfast, sarchin’ for them papers we talked about.”

“Did you, now?”

“And I tried to catch you afore you started; but you’d breakfasted early. . . .  Well, the long and short is, they’re not lost after all!” Cai produced the bundle triumphantly.

“Eh!  Where did you find ’em?” asked Fancy, while ’Bias took the parcel without a word of thanks, glanced at it carelessly, and set it down on the little round table beside the bed.

“In my strong-box. . . .  There was two parcels, pretty much alike, on the top shelf of the safe yonder, and I must have taken ’Bias’s by mistake.  I’m glad, anyway,” he went on, turning with moist eyes upon ’Bias, who appeared to have lost interest in the conversation.  “I’m glad, anyway, t’have eased your mind so soon, let alone to have cut short your sarchin’ which must ha’ been painful enough—­in a house o’ sickness.”

“Who was sarchin’?” asked ’Bias curtly.  “Not me.”

“And that’s true enough,” corroborated Fancy.  “Why, Cap’n Hunken has never mentioned the papers!  I guessed as you hadn’ told him they was missin’.”

“Eh? . . .  I thought—­I made sure, by his startin’ down here so early—­”

“Not a word of any papers did he mention,” said Fancy.  “He just come early to sit an’ keep master company, havin’ a notion that his poor old mind takes comfort from it somehow.  Seven hours he sat here yesterday, an’ never so much as a pipe of tobacco the whole time.  Doctor said as a bit o’ tobacco-smoke wouldn’ do any harm in the room:  but Cap’n Hunken allows as he’ll be on the safe side.”

Cai started. . . .  For aught ’Bias knew then—­as indeed ’Bias had reason to suspect—­this husk of a man, helpless on the bed, had robbed him of his all, ruined him, left him no prospect but to begin life over again when late middle-age had sapped his vigour, attenuated the springs of action, left sad experience in the room of hope.  And ’Bias’s thought, ignoring it all, had been to sit beside this man’s calamity, on the merest chance of piercing it with one ray of comfort!