The fishermen were busy with their nets, and old Job, the carrier, stood, with pipe in mouth, looking on.
The men touched their caps, and Job gave him a rough, kindly good-day.
Ten minutes afterward, and before he was scarcely out of sight, Captain Murpoint came down the path, sauntering very much after Leicester's fashion, with a Bengal cheroot in his mouth.
With his placid smile upon his face he sauntered down the beach.
"Well, my men," he said, "good night's fishing? Beautiful morning," and then passed on.
But as he passed Job he whispered in his ear:
"Meet me at sunset behind the chapel. There is danger."
Job, by a motion with his pipe, intimated that he heard and would comply, and the captain, in his turn, passed on.
He, too, as he had gone by the "Blue Lion" had heard the strident tones of Jem's harsh voice and had felt rather disgusted.
As he returned he looked in and saw Jem leaning against the bar in a state bordering upon intoxication.
Jem saw him, but instead of welcoming him with a respectful salute scowled fiercely and sullenly.
The captain thought that it was feigned, and with a cool, "Good-morning, my man. So you've not left the village yet," was about to stroll on, but Jem, upon whom a great change had fallen, rendering him suspicious of every one, even of his lord and master, shambled on after him.
"What d'ye mean?" he hiccoughed. "Didn't yer tell me to stop here? Why don't yer say what yer mean? What's a man to do to please yer?"
The captain, with an alarmed and passionate frown on his face, turned upon him, and after glancing round to see if any one was near, said, savagely:
"Silence, you idiot! Go home, and come to me to-night, in the chapel."
"No, I don't," returned Jem, with a half-drunken shake of the head. "I don't go near no chapels! I've had enough of them!"
"The cliff, then," said the captain, torn by passion and the fear that some one would overhear them. "The cliff, you miserable hound. Come sober, for there's work to do. Do you understand?"
"I understand," said Jem, sullenly. "I'm sensible enough, ain't I?"
The captain's reply was a look so full of ominous evil that if a look could kill Jem's days would have been ended there and then.
There was no time to say more, for footsteps were approaching.