“My dear man, don’t call me earl. I told you I was an earl in strict confidence. Haven’t you noticed that everyone addresses me as ‘sir,’ and I don’t even insist on that. We are all free and equal at sea, except the captain, who rules over us. When we reach Southampton water I’ll go ashore in the motor boat, will call on the land agent, secure the estate of five acres, give the deeds to your wife, and invite her and the family to come up and view the cottage.” “She knows where it is, sir. We’ve often been there together.” “Then you’ll grant no shore leave, not even to yourself. You’ll keep the lads busy while I’m ashore. Take the yacht to the nearest coaling station, wherever it is, and fill her up with black diamonds. We may want to go to New York, for all I know. What time do you expect to pass Ushant?” “About one bell, sir; half an hour after midnight.” “How long is the run from Ushant to Southampton?” “We should do it easy in eleven hours.” “Then we’ll reach there at noon to-morrow? Very good. You had better, perhaps, run me right up to Southampton, attend to the port formalities, see to the coaling, and be lying off your bit of property by six o’clock next evening. I’ll stop the night at a hotel, so you needn’t trouble about me. How large is your family, captain?” “The three eldest are at sea, and the three girls at home with the missus.” “Three girls? Oh, that’s jolly! Very well, I think we’ve everything arranged. You will see that the motor boat is ready for me at the landing both to-morrow afternoon and all next day. I shall probably want to run up the bay to the bit of land, or down, whichever it is. I suppose you can point it out to me as we pass?” “Oh, yes, sir. I never enter or leave Southampton without looking at that bit of ground.” “Very well. At about five o’clock p.m. day after to-morrow I shall invite the missus and the three girls to take a trip with me in the motor boat. Arriving there I shall hand the keys and the deeds to the lady of the house, and if you come ashore I’ll introduce you to the family. You may stop all night ashore. Next morning take the yacht, and navigate her slowly round to Plymouth. There you may give everybody shore leave, but don’t overdo it. You understand what I want, which is that no man shall talk about the mine in West Africa or the transfer in midocean, so I expect you to keep your section of the crew in hand. I can answer for my fellows. Oh, yes, by the way, I’ll take my woodmen off at noon to-morrow, together with all that are left of my gamekeepers, and send them home, including the excellent Ponderby, so you will have none to deal with except those belonging to the yacht.”