Despite the bitter pleading of the poor, bereaved bride, who dreaded the crowded city and desired to remain in seclusion in the country, old Aaron had removed his whole family to their town house for the winter.
They had been settled there only a few days, and were gathered around the breakfast table, when a card was brought in to Mr. Rockharrt.
"'Captain Ross!' Who, in the fiend's name, is Captain Ross? And what does he want at this early hour of the morning?" demanded the Iron King, after he had read the name on the card. Then, as he scrutinized it, he saw faintly penciled lines below the name and read:
"The late visitor who called on Governor-elect Rothsay on the evening of his disappearance."
"Show the man in the library, Jason," exclaimed old Aaron Rockharrt, rising, leaving his untasted breakfast, and striding out of the room.
In the library he found a young skipper, tall, robust, black bearded and sun burned.
"Captain Ross?" said the old man, interrogatively.
"The same, at your service, sir--Mr. Rockharrt, I presume?" said the visitor with a bow.
"That's my name. Sit down," said the Iron King, pointing to one chair for his visitor and taking another for himself.
"So you were the last visitor to Mr. Rothsay, eh?"
"Well, can you give any information regarding the disappearance of my grandson-in-law?"
"No, sir; but learning that I had been advertised for, I have come forward."
"At rather a late date, upon my soul and honor! Where have you been all this time?"
"At sea. When I called upon Mr. Rothsay, it was to congratulate him on his position and to bid him good-by. I was on the eve of sailing for India, and, in fact, left the city by the night's express and sailed the next morning. I think we must have been out of sight of land before the news of the governor's disappearance was spread abroad."
"What explanation can you give of his sudden disappearance?"
"Then, in the demon's name, why have you come forward at all at this time?"
"But months ago I was at sea and knew nothing of the matter. I have but just returned from a long voyage, and hearing among other matters that Governor Rothsay had been missing since the day of his inauguration, that Governor Kennedy reigned in his stead, and that the latest visitor of the missing man had long been wanting, I have come."