I shouldn't give way to it, if I were you."
Tinker wriggled.
A hundred yards from the jetty the yacht's engines were reversed; and
the way was scarcely off her, when her only remaining boat fell smartly
on the water, and was rowed quickly to the steps.
"They seem in a hurry," said Sir Tancred.
For a while they busied themselves in conjectures as to what errand had
brought the yacht to Monaco; Sir Tancred lighted another cigarette, and
they watched the crew of the yacht set to work at once to wash the
decks.
Some twenty minutes later a little group hurried into the gardens, the
manager of the Hotel des Princes, a tall, bearded, grimy man, and a
stout, clean-shaven, grimy man. They came straight to Sir Tancred and
Tinker, and the bearded man said quickly, "My name is Rainer, Septimus
Rainer. I've just learnt that my daughter Dorothy is governessing your
little girl. Where is she?"
Sir Tancred bowed, and said languidly, "Miss Rainer is the governess of
my son's adopted sister. He is her employer, not I. Here he is."
Tinker stepped forward, and bowed.
Septimus Rainer stared at him with a bewildered air, and said, "Well,
if this don't beat the Dutch!" Then he added feverishly, "Where is
she? Where's my little girl? Where's Dorothy?"
"She went with Elsie--that's her pupil--down the Corniche towards
Mentone after dejeuner," said Tinker.
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