"What sort of luncheon did Newstead give you, Johnny?" "Oh, something worth going for, I can tell you. You want to live in Tarbert for a month or two to find out the value of decent cooking and good wine. He was awfully surprised when I described this place to him. He wouldn't believe you were living here in a cottage: I said a garret, for I pitched it hot and strong, mind you. I said you were living in a garret, that you never saw a razor, and lived on oatmeal porridge and whisky, and that your only amusement was going out at night and risking your neck in this delightful boat of mine. You should have seen him examining this remarkable vessel. And there were two ladies on board, and they were asking after you, too." "Who were they?" "I don't know. I didn't catch their names when I was introduced; but the noble skipper called one of them Polly." "Oh, I know." "Ain't you coming ashore, Lavender? You can't see to work now." "All right! I shall put my traps ashore, and then I'll have a run with you down Loch Fyne if you like, Johnny." "Well, I don't like," said the handsome lad frankly, "for it's looking rather squally about. It seems to me you're bent on drowning yourself. Before those other fellows went, they came to the conclusion that you had committed a murder." "Did they really?" Lavender said with little interest. "And if you go away and live in that wild place you were talking of during the winter, they will be quite sure of it. Why, man, you'd come back with your hair turned white. You might as well think of living by yourself at the Arctic Pole."