“Come along, Alice,” her uncle said, hurrying her movements. “Telegram has come,” and then he followed the waiter, muttering angrily at the “infernal stupidity of people taking a telegram upstairs,—why the deuce couldn’t they have it ready for me at the door? Just like them.” Here they reached the sitting-room and tore open the envelope of the telegram. “Ship’s name ‘Tasmania.’ Captain has open orders, his putting into Plymouth will depend upon the wind. I come down by eleven train. Delighted matters are cleared up.” “How is the wind?” and the captain turned abruptly to the waiter. “Wind, sir? Don’t know, sir.” “Then go and see, sir,” the captain roared, wrathfully; “damme, what are you here for except to know what way the wind is?” The man returned looking rather sulky. “The wind is southerly, sir.” “Southerly, is it?” Captain Bradshaw said; “well, I am no wiser, as far as I know, than I was before.” “I think, uncle,” Alice said, gently, “the best plan will be to go down to the sea; the sailors there will know what wind a ship is most likely to put in here with, and how long she will be with such weather as this in coming round from London.” “Certainly, Alice; let us start at once.” The questioning was, at Alice’s request, left to her, for her uncle’s impatient hastiness would have rendered it a far more difficult process. They went up to a sailor, leaning upon the seawall, and looking through a telescope at some vessels in the offing. “Would you kindly tell us whether vessels sailing from London to Australia, and not being bound to put in here, would be likely to do so with the wind blowing as at present?” The sailor touched his hat. “Well, my lady, they might, and they might not. Of course it would depend partly upon the number of passengers, and the sea stock they had on board.” “This is an emigrant ship,” Alice said. “Well, miss,” the sailor said, turning round again to the sea, as if to assure himself that no change had taken place, “I should say yes; it’s a very light breeze, you see, and they will be a week or so coming round from the Downs, if it does not freshen, and they would be likely to put in here to fill up again with water before she takes her departure. I can’t say for sure, you see, miss,” he said, seeing how anxious his questioner was. “Some captains are more given to putting in here than others are. But I should say if this wind holds, it’s odds he comes in; and if it shifts to the south-west, which is likely enough, it makes a foul wind of it, and then he’s pretty sure to run in. When did she sail, miss?” “She left Gravesend early on Tuesday morning.” “Ay, and this is Friday. Well, miss, she is likely enough to be here on Monday or Tuesday, if the wind holds as at present.” “And how are we to know if she comes in?” Alice asked.