"So are we all," said Sir Walter. "But meantime the House-boat is getting
farther away."

"Not unless she's sailing backwards," sneered Noah, who was still nursing
his resentment against Sir Christopher Wren for his reflections upon the
speed of the Ark.

"What's the hurry?" asked Socrates. "I believe in making haste slowly; and
on the admission of our two eminent naval architects, Sir Christopher and
Noah, neither of their vessels can travel more than a mile a week, and if
we charter the _Flying Dutchman_ to go in pursuit of her we can catch her
before she gets out of the Styx into the Atlantic."

"Jonah might lend us his whale, if the beast is in commission," suggested
Munchausen, dryly. "I for one would rather take a state-room in Jonah's
whale than go aboard the _Flying Dutchman_ again. I made one trip on the
_Dutchman_, and she's worse than a dory for comfort; furthermore, I don't
see what good it would do us to charter a boat that can't land oftener
than once in seven years, and spends most of her time trying to double the
Cape of Good Hope."

"My whale is in commission," said Jonah, with dignity. "But Baron
Munchausen need not consider the question of taking a state-room aboard of
her. She doesn't carry second-class passengers. And if I took any stock in
the idea of a trip on the _Flying Dutchman_ amounting to a seven years'
exile, I would cheerfully pay the Baron's expenses for a round trip."

"We are losing time, gentlemen," suggested Sherlock Holmes. "This is a
moment, I think, when you should lay aside personal differences and