wardroom to keep the tongues of the young officers in order, so that

Carthew's identification was kept out of the papers. And he rendered

another service yet more important. He had a friend in San Francisco,

a millionaire; to this man he privately presented Carthew as a young

gentleman come newly into a huge estate, but troubled with Jew debts

which he was trying to settle on the quiet. The millionaire came readily

to help; and it was with his money that the wrecker gang was to be

fought. What was his name, out of a thousand guesses? It was Douglas

Longhurst.

As long as the Currency Lasses could all disappear under fresh names,

it did not greatly matter if the brig were bought, or any small

discrepancies should be discovered in the wrecking. The identification

of one of their number had changed all that. The smallest scandal must

now direct attention to the movements of Norris. It would be asked how

he who had sailed in a schooner from Sydney, had turned up so shortly

after in a brig out of Hong Kong; and from one question to another all

his original shipmates were pretty sure to be involved. Hence arose

naturally the idea of preventing danger, profiting by Carthew's

new-found wealth, and buying the brig under an alias; and it was put in

hand with equal energy and caution. Carthew took lodgings alone under

a false name, picked up Bellairs at random, and commissioned him to buy

the wreck.

"What figure, if you please?" the lawyer asked.

"I want it bought," replied Carthew. "I don't mind about the price."

"Any price is no price," said Bellairs. "Put a name upon it."

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