Captain Pym's manner during supper was still somewhat stiff and formal; but he unbent enough to give them the latest astonishing news of the outside world, the lack of which was the one thing they felt somewhat at times. But it was only when the pipes were alight afterwards that he disclosed himself. "You are wondering, no doubt, what brings me here, Mr. Blair," he said. "Well--yes, somewhat. You are the first visitor we have had." "Not quite. And it is because of those others that I am here." Blair looked at him in surprise. Captain Cathie nodded understandingly, as though in confirmation of his own thoughts. "Certain complaints have been made to the Government concerning some of your doings here, and they have sent me to look into the matter." "I--see. You refer to the kidnappers we put a stopper on----" "That complaint comes from Peru. There is one also from the American government----" "Ah, yes--Mr.--What-was-his-name?--Crawley, was it? He promised we should hear from him. Well, sir, we shall be glad to put our side of the case before you. You shall see what we have done here since we came, and no doubt you will appreciate our desire to safeguard our work in every possible way. We have done no single thing we in any way regret, and we would not hesitate to do the same again if occasion should arise." "Ah," said Captain Pym, with a knowing official nod, "you gentlemen of the cloth, when you get right away from any authority but your own, sometimes go to extremes, and are perhaps tempted to magnify your office somewhat." "That is quite impossible," said Blair quietly. "I consider my office the very highest in the world. As far as in me lies I have worked up to my ideal of it, and shall continue to do so. As to going to extremes, we have simply defended our work from spoliation. That also we shall continue to do." "Hear, hear!" said Aunt Jannet energetically, and Captain Pym frowned officially at the pair of them. "Supposing, Captain Pym," broke in Cathie, by way of lightning conductor, "you had an unarmed tender attached to your ship, and an enemy stole up in the night and carried her off, crew and all, you would consider yourself justified in following and bringing her back, and taking payment out of the other side." "That's the way to put it," said Aunt Jannet. "The cases are not parallel, sir. That would be a _casus belli_, and I should of course do my duty. You have no authority----" "Oh yes, we have," said Blair warmly. "The very highest"--and as Captain Pym did not seem to appreciate that point, he added--"but, apart from that, we have the endorsement of Mr. Annesley, the Colonial Secretary. He and the Earl of Selsea were good enough to take very great interest in our intended work here. I laid all my plans before them, and they approved them. In fact, they spoke of a protectorate." "The Earl of Selsea is dead, and Mr. Annesley retired from office twelve months ago."