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One

CROW’S NEST

Mr Satterthwaite sat on the terrace of “Crow’s Nest” and watched his host, Sir Charles Cartwright, cli up the path from the sea

Crow’s Nest was a , no gables, no excrescences dear to a third-class builder’s heart It was a plain white solid building—deceptive as to size, since it was a good deal bigger than it looked It owed its na the harbour of Loomouth Indeed fro balustrade, there was a sheer drop to the sea below By road Crow’s Nest was a h up above the sea On foot it was accessible in seven minutes by the steep fisher at this minute

Sir Charles was a well-built, sunburnt rey flannel trousers and a white sweater He had a slight rolling gait, and carried his hands half closed as he walked Nine people out of ten would say, “Retired Naval , would have hesitated, puzzled by so true And then perhaps a picture would rise, unsought: the deck of a ship—but not a real ship—a ship curtailed by hanging curtains of thick rich ht that was not sunlight streaait and a voice—the easy pleasant voice of an English sailor and gentlenified in tone

“No, sir,” Charles Cartwright was saying, “I’ive you any answer to that question”

And swish fell the heavy curtains, up sprang the lights, an orchestra plunged into the latest syncopated erated bows in their hair said, “Chocolates? Lemonade?” The first act of The Call of the Sea, with Charles Cartwright as Commander Vanstone, was over

Fro down, Mr Satterthwaite smiled

A dried-up little pipkin of a man, Mr Satterthwaite, a patron of art and the drama, a determined but pleasant snob, always included in the more important house parties and social functions (the words “and Mr Satterthwaite” appeared invariably at the tail of a list of guests) Withal a ence and a very shrewd observer of people and things

He ht it No, really, I wouldn’t have thought it”

A step sounded on the terrace and he turned his head The big grey-haired man who drew a chair forward and sat down had his profession clearly staed face “Doctor” and “Harley Street” Sir Bartholoe had succeeded in his profession He was a well-known specialist in nervous disorders, and had recently received a knighthood in the Birthday Honours list

He drew his chair forward beside that of Mr Satterthwaite and said:

“What wouldn’t you have thought? Eh? Let’s have it”

With a sure below rapidly ascending the path

“I shouldn’t have thought Sir Charles would have re in—er—exile”

“By Jove, noback his head “I’ve known Charles since he was a boy We were at Oxford together He’s always been the sae! Charles is always acting He can’t help it—it’s second nature to hio out of a rooood line to e of part—none better Two years ago he retired froe—said he wanted to live a sie his old fancy for the sea He comes down here and builds this place His idea of a siets! I was like you, Satterthwaite, I didn’t think it would last After all, Charles is human—he needs his audience Two or three retired captains, a bunch of old women and a parson—that’s not ht the ‘simple felloith his love of the sea,’ would run for six ht he’d tire of the part I thought the next thing to fill the bill would be the weary man of the world at Monte Carlo, or possibly a laird in the Highlands—he’s versatile, Charles is”

The doctor stopped It had been a long speech His eyes were full of affection and amusement as he watched the unconscious man below In a couple of minutes he would be with them

“However,” Sir Bartholo The attraction of the simple life holds”