"What an eye you have!" he cried, with a sigh of relief. 'It is jus
t asyou say. But we won't talk of it. Of all ghosts the ghosts of our oldlovers are the worst. Come into the billiard-room and have a quietcigar.'
"From that day, amid all his cordiality, there was always a touch ofsuspicion in Mr. Trevor's manner towards me. Even his son remarked it.'You've given the governor such a turn,' said he, 'that he'll never besure again of what you know and what you don't know.' He did not meanto show it, I am sure, but it was so strongly in his mind that it peepedout at every action. At last I became so convinced that I was causinghim uneasiness that I drew my visit to a close. On the very day,however, before I left, an incident occurred which proved in the sequelto be of importance.
"We were sitting out upon the lawn on garden chairs, the three of us,basking in the sun and admiring the view across the Broads, when a maidcame out to say that there was a man at the door who wanted to see Mr.Trevor.
"'What is his name?' asked my host.
"'He would not give any.'
"'What does he want, then?'
"'He says that you know him, and that he only wants a moment'sconversation.'
"'Show him round here.' An instant afterwards there appeared a littlewizened fellow with a cringing manner and a shambling style ofwalking. He wore an open jacket, with a splotch of tar on the sleeve,a red-and-black check shirt, dungaree trousers, and heavy boots badlyworn. His face was thin and brown and crafty, with a perpetual smileupon it, which showed an irregular line of yellow teeth, and hiscrinkled hands were half closed in a way that is distinctive of sailors.As he came slouching across the lawn I heard Mr. Trevor make a sort ofhiccoughing noise in his throat, and jumping out of his chair, he raninto the house. He was back in a moment, and I smelt a strong reek ofbrandy as he passed me.
"'Well, my man,' said he. 'What can I do for you?'
"The sailor stood looking at him with puckered eyes, and with the sameloose-lipped smile upon his face.
"'You don't know me?' he asked.
"'Why, dear me, it is surely Hudson,' said Mr. Trevor in a tone ofsurprise.
"'Hudson it is, sir,' said the seaman. 'Why, it's thirty year and moresince I saw you last. Here you are in your house, and me still pickingmy salt meat out of the harness cask.'
"'Tut, you will find that I have not forgotten old times,' cried Mr.Trevor, and, walking towards the sailor, he said something in a lowvoice. 'Go into the kitchen,' he continued out loud, 'and you will getfood and drink. I have no doubt that I shall find you a situation.'
"'Thank you, sir,' said the seaman, touching his fore-lock. 'I'm justoff a two-yearer in an eight-knot tramp, short-handed at that, and Iwants a rest. I thought I'd get it either with Mr. Beddoes or with you.'
"'Ah!' cried Trevor. 'You know where Mr. Beddoes is?'
"'Bless you, sir, I know where all my old friends are,' said thefellow with a sinister smile, and he slouched off after the maid to thekitchen. Mr. Trevor mumbled something to us about having been shipmatewith the man when he was going back to the diggings, and then, leavingus on the lawn, he went indoors. An hour later, when we entered thehouse, we found him stretched dead drunk upon the dining-room sofa. Thewhole incident left a most ugly impression upon my mind, and I wasnot sorry next day to leave Donnithorpe behind me, for I felt that mypresence must be a source of embarrassment to my friend.
"All this occurred during the first month of the long vacation. I wentup to my London rooms, where I spent seven weeks working out a fewexperiments in organic chemistry. One day, however, when the autumn wasfar advanced and the vacation drawing to a close, I received a telegramfrom my friend imploring me to return to Donnithorpe, and saying thathe was in great need of my advice and assistance. Of course I droppedeverything and set out for the North once more.
"He met me with the dog-cart at the station, and I saw at a glance thatthe last two months had been very trying ones for him. He had grown thinand careworn, and had lost the loud, cheery manner for which he had beenremarkable.
"'The governor is dying,' were the first words he said.
"'Impossible!' I cried. 'What is the matter?'
"'Apoplexy. Nervous shock, He's been on the verge all day. I doubt if weshall find him alive.'
"I was, as you may think, Watson, horrified at this unexpected news.
"'What has caused it?' I asked.
"'Ah, that is the point. Jump in and we can talk it over while we drive.You remember that fellow who came upon the evening before you left us?'
"'Perfectly.'
"'Do you know who it was that we let into the house that day?'
"'I have no idea.'
"'It was the devil, Holmes,' he cried.