They
were kept in the safe in the hold."
A look of annoyance came into the face of the stranger.
"That's too bad," he said. "It was a most important part of my plan that
we should know about how fast the House-boat was."
"Humph!" ejaculated Socrates, with ill-concealed sarcasm. "If you'll take
Xanthippe's word for it, the House-boat was the fastest yacht afloat."
"I refer to the matter of speed in sailing," returned the stranger,
quietly. "The question of its ethical speed has nothing to do with it."
"The designer of the craft is here," said Sir Walter, fixing his eyes upon
Sir Christopher Wren. "It is possible that he may be of assistance in
settling that point."
"What has all this got to do with the question, anyhow, Mr. Chairman?"
asked Solomon, rising impatiently and addressing Sir Walter. "We aren't
preparing for a yacht-race that I know of. Nobody's after a cup, or a
championship of any kind. What we do want is to get our wives back. The
Captain hasn't taken more than half of mine along with him, but I am
interested none the less. The Queen of Sheba is on board, and I am
somewhat interested in her fate. So I ask you what earthly or unearthly
use there is in discussing this question of speed in the House-boat. It
strikes me as a woful waste of time, and rather unprecedented too, that we
should suspend all rules and listen to the talk of an entire stranger.
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