She wasn't to be seen.

The captain came up quickly.

'Oh! you are here, Mr.Franklin.' And the mate said, 'I was giving a little air to the place, sir.' Then the captain, his hat pulled down over his eyes, laid his stick on the table and asked in his kind way: 'How did you find your mother, Franklin ?'--'The old lady's first-rate, sir, thank you.' And then they had nothing to say to each other.

It was a strange and disturbing feeling for Franklin.

He, just back from leave, the ship just come to her loading berth, the captain just come on board, and apparently nothing to say! The several questions he had been anxious to ask as to various things which had to be done had slipped out of his mind.