Just then, to Evelyn's relief, Mrs. Nairn came in, and though the girl suffered during the time, it was half an hour before she could find an excuse for slipping away alone. Then, sitting in the gathering darkness, in her own room, she set herself to consider, as dispassionately as possible, what she had heard. It was exceedingly difficult to believe the charge; but Jessie's assertion was definite enough, and one which, if incorrect, could be readily disproved. Nobody would say such a thing unless it could be substantiated, and that led Evelyn to consider why Jessie had given her the information. She had obviously done so with at least a trace of malice; but this could hardly have sprung from jealousy, because Evelyn could not think that a woman would vilify a man for whom she had any tenderness. Besides, she had seen Vane entering the part of the town indicated, where he could not have had any legitimate business. Hateful as the suspicion was, it could not be contemptuously dismissed. Then she granted that she had no right to censure the man; he was not accountable to her for his conduct; but calm reasoning carried her no farther. She was once more filled with intolerable disgust and burning indignation. Somehow she had come to believe in Vane, and he had turned out an impostor. It was about an hour later when Vane and Carroll entered the house with Nairn and proceeded to the latter's room, where he offered them cigars. "So ye're all ready to sail the morn?" he said. Vane, who nodded, handed him some papers. "There's your authority to act in my name if it's required. I expect to be back before there's much change in the situation; but I'll call at Nanaimo, where you can wire me if anything turns up during the three days it may take us to get there." "I suppose there's no use in my saying anything more now; but I can't help pointing out that, as head of the concern, you have a certain duty to the shareholders which you seem inclined to disregard," Carroll remarked. "I've no doubt their interests will be as safe in Nairn's hands as in mine," Vane rejoined. "I fail to see why ye could no have let the whole thing stand over until the spring," said Nairn. "The spruce winna run away." "I'd have done so had it been a few years earlier, but the whole country is overrun with mineral prospectors and timber-righters now. Every month's delay gives somebody else a chance of getting in ahead of me." "Weel," said Nairn resignedly. "I can only wish ye luck, but should ye be detained up yonder, if one of ye could sail across to Comox to see if there's any mail there, it would be wise to do so." He waved his hand. "No more of that; we'll consider what tactics I had better adopt in case of delay."