In the meantime, Trixy had followed the custom of children in general in such cases, which is to get away from the scene of trouble as soon as possible. Chancing to meet the Admiral himself, she abruptly said to him: "Say, mamma knows all about that letter. I didn't tell her nothin'--she just guessed it." "Whew!" exclaimed the old man. Then he looked as thoughtful and anxious for a moment as if he were taking a fleet into action, and he said, half to himself, "I must take the night-boat for Washington. I hope Blogsham may still be there. I must beg you to excuse me, Trixy." The Admiral hurried into the hotel, Trixy following him as far as she could. At the other front of the house she met Jermyn, followed by a servant with a portmanteau. "Good bye, little girl," said the officer. "I shall be back in a couple of days. A friend of mine is about to run up to Washington with one of the government boats, and I'm going with him. Please remember me to your mother and aunt, and to Miss Trewman." "What! you goin' to Washin'ton too. So's the Admiral." Jermyn stared wonderingly, and the last of him that Trixy saw to remember was a face which seemed one great frown. CHAPTER XI. OFF THE SCENT. The Admiral and the Lieutenant met face to face in the Army and Navy Club at Washington, and each looked as if he were a rogue about to tumble into the clutches of the law. After a moment of mute inquiry of each other's faces the Admiral asked: "Jermyn, how on earth did you reach here? I thought I left you at Fort Monroe?" "And I," said Jermyn, "supposed I had left you at Old Point, when I suddenly ran up here on a matter of personal business." "Ah! Trying to be transferred to some other branch of the service, where there's more chance of promotion? Well, I can't blame you. In time of peace a man must wait a long while for his just deserts, and in time of war he may be killed before they can reach him. 'Tis a queer world." "It certainly is, or some things in it are very queer." "Excuse a plain question, please. That letter upon which you and I sketched a day or two ago at the club--was it----" "Bless my soul, Jermyn, is that letter on your mind too? My dear boy, my sole purpose in hurrying off to Washington last night was to recover that letter. I can't imagine where it is unless our enterprising friend Blogsham took it with him." "You knew its contents?" "Yes--unfortunately for my peace of mind since I was asked to read it. But you----" "I," said Jermyn, "glanced at it, supposing it to be memoranda about the property you were discussing; I had no idea that it could be a private letter. You will understand why I would like to know something further about it, principally to save one woman, possibly two women, from great mortification should the letter itself fall into the wrong hands." "Possibly two women?" repeated the Admiral. "Do you mean to say that you don't know who the writer was?" "I've not the slightest idea."