According to the arrangement entered into on the previous day his friends called for him at eleven o’clock, when they went ashore together. It was a lovely morning, and Carne was in the highest spirits. They visited the Castle together, made some purchases in the town, and then went off to lunch on board Lord Orpington’s yacht. It was well-nigh three o’clock before Carne bade his host and hostess farewell, and descended the gangway in order to return to his own vessel. A brisk sea was running, and for this reason to step into the boat was an exceedingly difficult if not a dangerous, matter. Either he miscalculated his distance, or he must have jumped at the wrong moment; at any rate, he missed his footing, and fell heavily on to the bottom. Scarcely a second, however, had elapsed before his coxswain had sprung to his assistance, and lifted him up on to the seat in the stern. It was then discovered that he had been unfortunate enough to once more give a nasty twist to the ankle which had brought him to such grief when he had been staying at Greenthorpe Park on the occasion of the famous wedding. "My dear fellow, I am so sorry," said Lord Orpington, who had witnessed the accident. "Won’t you come on board again? We can easily hoist you over the side." "Many thanks," replied Carne, "but I think I can manage to get back to my own boat. It is better I should do so. My man has had experience of my little ailments, and knows exactly what is best to be done under such circumstances; but it is a terrible nuisance, all the same. I’m afraid it will be impossible for me now to be present at his Royal Highness’s dinner this evening, and I have been looking forward to it so much." "We shall all be exceedingly sorry," said Lord Amberley. "I shall come across in the afternoon to see how you are." "You are very kind," said Carne, "and I shall be immensely glad to see you if you can spare the time." With that he gave the signal to his man to push off. By the time he reached his own yacht his foot was so painful that it was necessary for him to be lifted on board--a circumstance which was duly noticed by the occupants of all the surrounding yachts, who had brought their glasses to bear upon him. Once below in his saloon, he was placed in a comfortable chair and left to Belton’s careful attention. "I trust you have not hurt yourself very much, sir," said that faithful individual, who, however, could not prevent a look of satisfaction coming into his face, which seemed to say that he was not ill-pleased that his master would, after all, be prevented from carrying out the hazardous scheme he had proposed to him the previous evening. In reply Carne sprang to his feet without showing a trace of lameness.