"
"--Unless you refuse," said the Earl significantly.
"Proceed, my lord." Captain Salt's face flushed scarlet; then a sweat
broke out on his temples, where an instant before the veins had
swelled with rage.
"There is nothing to prevent your starting at once. You have altered
the fuses, I suppose?"
"Yes."
"And made all the arrangements?"
"Nothing is omitted. The guns will be fired twenty minutes too soon,
at ten minutes after nine. As William knows nothing about the
signal, and has made his dispositions for half-past nine, the poor
fellows will have some fun for their pains, after all."
"Excellent!" said the Earl smiling. "It only remains for you to
start. Here are the papers; I advise you to keep them carefully
sorted. This, in cipher, is for James. It is full of promises; and
in addition, to keep his spirits up, you can give him an account of
the mutiny, pointing out how near it came to success. A boat shall
take you to Sevenbergen; after that you know the road--the usual one.
The word is _Modena_. You will take your son with you, of course,
and persuade him (if you can) that he is travelling back to Harwich
by the shortest road."
"That will be difficult."
"From Paris return to Dunkirk, and there await a letter from me.
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