The colored man said no more, but rowed inshore, and in the meantime the doctor hurried down to meet him. "Did you find any gold, massah?" asked the colored man, his white teeth gleaming. "Gold! Why, you foolish nigger, what chance is there of finding gold on a wreck over ten years old? The best thing you can do is to break the boat to pieces and take the wood ashore for fuel." "But de ghosteses, massah! Besides, Mrs. Ruthven wouldn't let us touch dat wrack nohow." "On account of the boy, I suppose." "Yes, massah." "To tell the truth, my man, I have now as much interest in that ship as has that boy or Mrs. Ruthven. It brings back an exciting passage in my life. My visit to the wreck was made to satisfy me concerning several important questions. I was one of the passengers on that ill-fated ship!" "Golly, massah, yo' don't really mean dat?" And Old Ben's eyes opened widely. "Yes, I do. I suspected it before; now I am dead certain of it." At this declaration Old Ben grew quite excited. "And did yo' know Massah Jack's fadder, sah?" "Yes, my man, I knew him very well," and there was a significant smile on the doctor's face as he spoke. "And was he a gen'man, sah? St. John Ruthven t'inks he was common white trash." "He was a gentleman of high family--the son of an English nobleman, although born in this country." "An' Jack's mudder, sah?" "Was an American lady--a lady belonging to one of the first families of Massachusetts." "Golly, a Northerner!" and Ben's face became a study. "Yes." "Yo' must visit de house, sah, and tell Mrs. Ruthven 'bout dis. She will want to heah de partic'lars wery much, sah." "Yes, I will visit the Ruthven home," replied the doctor. "Yo' know de way, sah?" "I believe I do." "I can show yo' de way, an' will do it willingly. So you knew Jack's fadder an' mudder! Golly, but aint dat strange--after all dese yeahs, too! Jack will want to see yo', ob course." "And I shall want to see Jack," replied the medical man. "Jack's a fine lad, sah." "I am glad to hear it." But, as he spoke, the face of Dr. Mackey became a study. "Yes, sah; aint no bettah boy in all dese parts, sah." While talking Ben was rowing steadily, and it was not long before the pair reached shore. Then the boat was made fast, the oars put away, and the doctor and the colored man started for the Ruthven mansion. CHAPTER XI. MRS. RUTHVEN SPEAKS HER MIND. Leaving the shore of the bay, St. John Ruthven walked slowly toward the home of his aunt. It irritated him greatly to think that his cousin preferred the society of Jack to his own. "I must speak to Aunt Alice about this," he said to himself. "It is getting worse and worse." He found his aunt sitting in the garden reading. She looked up in surprise at his approach. "Aunt Alice, can you spare me a few minutes?" he said, after the usual greeting. "Surely, St. John. What is it that you wish?" "I wish to speak to you about Marion."