Nor was I disappointed, for, when we had negotiated a little loan, he
was entirely at my service, and willing to tell me everything, on my
promising not to give him away to Alfred.
"'Now, you understand,' he said, 'that this yarn about your pearl is
nothing but a damn silly fable that's been going the round in
Marseilles. I don't know where it came from, or what sort of demented
rotter invented it; I had it from a Johnnie in the Mediterranean
Squadron, and you can have a copy of his letter if you want it.'
"I said that I did want it. Accordingly, that same evening he handed me
a copy of the narrative extracted from his friend's letter, the
substance of which was this:
"About four months ago there was lying in Canton Harbour a large English
barque. Her name is not mentioned, but that is not material to the
story. She had got her cargo stowed and her crew signed on, and was only
waiting for certain official formalities to be completed before putting
to sea on her homeward voyage. Just ahead of her, at the same quay, was
a Danish ship that had been in collision outside, and was now laid up
pending the decision of the Admiralty Court.
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