Van Winkle Ruggles and her change of attitude took place,
Captain Elisha put on his hat and coat and started for his lawyer's
office. Sylvester was glad to see him and invited him to lunch.
"No, thank you," replied the captain. "I just run down to ask if there
was anything new in the offin'. Last time I see you, you hinted you and
your mates had sighted somethin' or other through the fog, and it might
turn out to be a rock or a lighthouse, you couldn't tell which. Made up
your mind yet?"
Sylvester shook his head. "No," he said, slowly; "it is still foggy.
We're busy investigating, but we're not ready to report."
"Humph! Well, what's the thing look like? You must be a little nigher to
it by now."
The lawyer tapped his desk with a pencil. "I don't know what it looks
like," he answered. "That is to say, I don't--I can't believe it is what
it appears, at this distance, to be. If it is, it is the most--"
He paused. Captain Elisha waited for him to go on and, when he did not
do so, asked another question.
"The most what?" he demanded. "Is it likely to be very bad?"
"Why--why--well, I can't say even that yet. But there! as I told you,
I'm not going to permit it to worry me. And you mustn't worry, either.
That's why I don't give you any further particulars.
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