As darkness fell,
the gale at length abated, and Quiller the younger approached Seton.
"Tell you what, sir," he said. "There's a cruiser been up and down a
matter of ten miles out. Me and my mates will put out at daybreak and see
if we can get within hail of her. There's the light-ship, too, off
Morden's Shoal. 'Tain't likely as a boat could have slipped between 'em
without being seen. For if she was just drifting, you know, sir, she
wouldn't go very fast."
"All right," said Seton. "And thanks! I'll go with you in the morning."
Quiller lingered, though there was dismissal in the tone.
"Go in and get a rest, sir!" he said persuasively. "There ain't no good
in your wearing yourself out here. You can't do nothing, sir, except pray
for a calm sea. Given that, we'll start with the light."
"Very well," said Seton, and turned away. He knew that the man spoke
sense and he put pressure on himself to behave rationally. Nevertheless,
he spent the greater part of the night in a fever of restlessness which
no strength of will could subdue; and he was down on the quay long before
the first faint gleam of light shot glimmering over the quiet water.
* * * * *
It was during those first wonderful moments of a new day that Mab woke up
with a start shivering, and stretched out her arms with a cry of wonder.
Hours before, Merefleet had persuaded her to try to rest, and she had
fallen asleep with her head against his knee, soothed by the calm that at
length succeeded the storm.
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