The Knight - Chapter 1 The Ferndale

I have said that the story of Flora de Barral was imparted to me in
stages. At this stage I did not see Marlow for some time. At last, one
evening rather early, very soon after dinner, he turned up in my rooms.

I had been waiting for his call primed with a remark which had not
occurred to me till after he had gone away.

"I say," I tackled him at once, "how can you be certain that Flora de
Barral ever went to sea? After all, the wife of the captain of the
Ferndale--" the lady that mustn't be disturbed "of the old
ship-keeper--may not have been Flora."

"Well, I do know," he said, "if only because I have been keeping in touch
with Mr. Powell."

"You have!" I cried. "This is the first I hear of it. And since when?"

"Why, since the first day. You went up to town leaving me in the inn. I
slept ashore. In the morning Mr. Powell came in for breakfast; and after
the first awkwardness of meeting a man you have been yarning with over-
night had worn off, we discovered a liking for each other."

As I had discovered the fact of their mutual liking before either of
them, I was not surprised.

"And so you kept in touch," I said.