"As all spectres are traditionally supposed to do!" said Dr. Brayle,
lighting a cigarette as he spoke and beginning to smoke it with a
careless air--"I vote for catching the ghost before it melts away
into the morning."

While this talk went on Mr. Harland stepped back into the saloon and
wrote a note which he enclosed in a sealed envelope. With this in
his hand he came out to us again.

"Captain, will you get the boat lowered, please?" he said--then, as
Captain Derrick hastened to obey this order, he turned to his
secretary:--"Mr. Swinton, I want you to take this note to the owner
of that yacht, whoever he may be, with my compliments. Don't give it
to anyone else but himself."

Mr. Swinton, looking very pale and uncomfortable, took the note
gingerly between his fingers.

"Himself--yes!"--he stammered--"And--er--if there should be no one--
"

"What do you mean?" and Mr. Harland frowned in his own particularly
unpleasant way--"There's sure to be SOMEONE, even if he were the
devil! You can say to him that the ladies of our party are very much
interested in the beautiful illumination of his yacht, and that
we'll be glad to see him on board ours, if he cares to come. Be as
polite as you can, and as agreeable as you like."

"It has not occurred to you--I suppose you have not thought--that--
that it may be an illusion?" faltered Mr. Swinton, uneasily,