Thus they succeeded in keeping Daniel quiet for a fortnight; but, at the end of that time, he declared that he felt quite well enough to look out for a ship himself; and that, if he could do no better, he meant to sail for Singapore, where he would be sure to procure a passage home.  It would, of course, have been simple folly to try and keep a man back who was so much bent upon his purpose; and, as his first visit to the port would have revealed to him the true state of things, the old surgeon preferred to make a clean breast of it.  When he learned that he had missed two ships, Daniel was at first naturally very much incensed.

“That was not right, doctor, to treat me thus,” he exclaimed.  “It was wrong; for you know what sacred duties call me home.”

But the surgeon was prepared for his justification.  He replied with a certain solemnity which he rarely assumed,—­

“I have only obeyed my conscience.  If I had let you set sail in the condition in which you were, I should have virtually sent you to your grave, and thus have deprived your betrothed, Miss Ville-Handry, of her last and only chance of salvation.”

Daniel shook his head sadly, and said,—­

“But if I get there too late, too late; by a week, a day, do you think, doctor, I shall not curse your prudence?  And who knows, now, when a ship will leave?”

“When?  On Sunday, in five days; and that ship is ‘The Saint Louis’ a famous clipper, and so good a sailor, that you will easily overtake the two big three-masters that have sailed before you.”

Offering his hand to Daniel, he added,—­

“Come, my dear Champcey; don’t blame an old friend who has done what he thought was his duty to do.”

Daniel was too painfully affected to pay much attention to the conclusive and sensible reasons alleged by the chief surgeon; he saw nothing but that his friends had taken advantage of his condition to keep him in the dark.  Still he also felt that it would have been black ingratitude and stupid obstinacy to preserve in his heart a shadow of resentment.  He therefore, took the hand that was offered him, and, pressing it warmly, replied in a tone of deep emotion,—­

“Whatever the future may have in store for me, doctor, I shall never forget that I owe my life to your devotion.”

As usually, when he felt that excitement was overcoming him,—­a very rare event, to tell the truth,—­the old surgeon fell back into his rough and abrupt manner.

“I have attended you as I would have attended any one:  that is my duty, and you need not trouble yourself about your gratitude.  If any one owes me thanks, it is Miss Ville-Handry; and I beg you will remind her of it when she is your wife.  And now you will be good enough to dismiss all those dismal ideas, and remember that you have only five days longer to tremble with impatience in this abominable country.”

He spoke easily enough of it,—­five days!  It was an eternity for a man in Daniel’s state of mind.  In three hours he had made all his preparations for his departure, arranged his business matters, and obtained a furlough for Lefloch, who was to go with him.  At noon, therefore, he asked himself with terror, how he was to employ his time till night, when they came, and asked if he would please come over to the courthouse, to see the magistrate.