In repose, his congested face had a humorously melancholy expression.
The ship-keeper having given him up all the keys and having been chased forward with the admonition to mind his own business and not to chatter about what did not concern him, Mr.Franklin went under the poop.

He opened one door after another; and, in the saloon, in the captain's state- room and everywhere, he stared anxiously as if expecting to see on the bulkheads, on the deck, in the air, something unusual--sign, mark, emanation, shadow--he hardly knew what--some subtle change wrought by the passage of a girl.

But there was nothing.

He entered the unoccupied stern cabin and spent some time there unscrewing the two stern ports.

In the absence of all material evidences his uneasiness was passing away.
With a last glance round he came out and found himself in the presence of his captain advancing from the other end of the saloon.
Franklin, at once, looked for the girl.