The laugh was now turned against Mr. Hugh St. John Wilson-Mainwaring, who disappeared below, and did not venture on deck for several days.
No one after this attempted to interfere with the two friends" mode of pa.s.sing their time, and they were left undisturbed, and remained engrossed in each other"s society. After an eventful voyage the ship arrived in due time at Adelaide.
CHAPTER VIII.
ADELAIDE.
"That"s Largs Bay over there," said the officer on duty to the small group of pa.s.sengers collected on deck to watch the approach of the vessel to her anchorage at Adelaide.
To none did the news come with greater pleasure than to Reg and Hal, who were impatient to get on to Wyck"s track without delay. Reg had improved in spirits considerably since he had taken Hal into his confidence, but he remained as determined as ever to carry out his object.
Poor old Tickell had in vain tried to penetrate their reserve, and find out something about them, but he had to acknowledge they had seen through all his cunning devices. He knew everybody and everybody"s business, from one end of the pa.s.senger list to the other, with the exception of these two. His failure here worried him, but still, though the voyage was fast terminating, he did not lose all hope of finding out something about them. As luck would have it, he found himself standing close beside the two who were occupying his thoughts.
"I am sorry we are going to part, gentlemen," he said, affably.
"Yes?" answered Hal, smiling.
"I shall miss your society. You are out here for pleasure, are you not?"
"Now, Tickell, my good fellow, drop all that," said Hal, seeing what was coming.
"No offence, my dear sir. On business, then?"
"Go to the devil, Tickell--or what is better, go and worry some of the old women," said Hal, turning away.
"Now, don"t get cross, sir."
"You"re an infernal old fool," said Reg, fairly losing his temper; and tucking Hal"s arm under his own, strolled away.
"Well, I"m hanged if I can make them out," said Tickell, to Mrs. Morgan, who had come towards him.
"Found out anything, Mr. Tickell?" asked that lady, sweetly.
"No, just had another try, but no use."
"Wonder if they"re criminals escaping from gaol," hazarded Mrs. Morgan, who had all the romantic imagination of her s.e.x.
"No, more like lords in disguise," said Tickell, thoughtfully.
"You"ve hit it, Tickell," said Hal, pa.s.sing by, not having heard the remark but guessing it referred to them.
"I knew it. I knew it," said Tickell, gleefully, as he rushed below to spread the news.
"Oh, my lords, I really beg your lordships" pardon," said Mrs. Morgan, apologetically.
"Pray what for, madam?" asked Reg, wondering if she had lost her senses.
"Well, you see, your lordships, neither me nor my gals ever guessed your lordships was what you are, or we would not have talked about you so familiar-like."
"My dear madam, we are no more lords than you are," said Hal, laughing at the joke.
"Here they are; here they are," cried Tickell, to a little crowd he had collected. "I found them out; I found them out."
"Found out what, Tickell?" asked Hal.
"I found you out, my lords. I knew all the time you were lords in disguise, but I did not like to say so," and Tickell skipped about and snapped his fingers with joy at the discovery.
A small tender now came alongside, and the Health Officer boarded the ship, and at once granted _pratique_, as there had been no sickness during the voyage. Several people accompanied him. Reg and Hal, taking advantage of the lull, escaped to their cabins, but no sooner were they there than the Captain rushed down to them, shook hands, and complimented them on their disguise. He had not taken any notice of them before, for he was a big man in his own estimation.
"I really feel annoyed at your not letting me into the secret of your ident.i.ty, gentlemen, for there is great compet.i.tion and jealousy between the captains on this route as to whose ship carries most members of the n.o.bility in a year. I"d have put on extra steam had I known, and arrived a day sooner. You two will put me top of the list, and I shall be bound to have a big pa.s.senger list coming home."
"But, Captain, we are not lords or n.o.blemen, or anything else," said Hal, laughing at the joke; but the Captain, being called on deck, left them with a hurried apology.
"That confounded old fool Tickell will get us into trouble yet," said Reg, as they both returned to the deck.
"That"s them," said Tickell, pointing them out to a couple of young men standing by with note-books and pencils in their hands, whereupon both stepped up to them.
"My lords, I have the honour to represent the _Advertiser_. I should feel much obliged if you would give a few particulars of your visit to the Colony."
"I belong to the _Register_, my lords," said his companion, preparing to write.
"I am afraid, gentlemen, you are under some mistake," said Reg. "We are not lords, nor anything of the kind, we are happy to say. Here are our cards."
"But you are travelling _incognito_, perhaps?" suggested one.
"No, we are both Australian born, and if I don"t make a mistake, I believe I recognise Joe Watson," answered Hal.
"That"s my name. Why, now I know you--Winter; Hal Winter, of course,"
and they shook hands, laughing heartily over the joke.
"Then who is that old fool who told us a long yarn about your being lords in disguise? I am awfully sorry you are not."
"And why, Watson?" asked Hal.
"Oh, news is scarce, and the arrivals of n.o.bility are welcomed nowadays.
They catch on, you know."
"Don"t understand, Watson."
"Why, from a matrimonial point of view. There are so many mammas lying in wait to receive them. But I must go. I am glad to see you, Winter; call at the office and look me up, some time or other."
"Certainly I will," and the two shook hands.
"Fancy that," said Hal, "he and I were at school together; we haven"t seen each other for ten years."