'Why? Does someone want him?'
'Yes, Madam,' said Robert, 'it's Captain Searle, the harbour-master of Kerrith, on the telephone.
He wants to know if he can come up and see Mr de Winter personally.'
'I don't know what to say,' I said.
'He may not be back for ages.'
'No, Madam.'
'You'd better tell him to ring again at five o'clock,' I said.
Robert went out of the room and came back again in a few minutes.
'Captain Searle would like to see you, if it would be convenient, Madam,' said Robert.
'He says the matter is rather urgent.
He tried to get Mr Crawley, but there was no reply.'
'Yes, of course I must see him if it's urgent,' I said.
'Tell him to come along at once if he likes.
Has he got a car?'
'Yes, I believe so, Madam.'
Robert went out of the room.
I wondered what I should say to Captain Searle.
His business must be something to do with the stranded ship.
I could not understand what concern it was of Maxim's.
It would have been different if the ship had gone ashore in the cove.
That was Manderley property.
They might have to ask Maxim's permission to blast away rocks or whatever it was that was done to move a ship.
But the open bay and the ledge of rock under the water did not belong to Maxim.
Captain Searle would waste his time talking to me about it all.
He must have got into his car right away after talking to Robert because in less than quarter of an hour he was shown into the room.
He was still in his uniform as I had seen him through the glasses in the early afternoon.
I got up from the window-seat and shook hands with him.
'I'm sorry my husband isn't back yet, Captain Searle,' I said; 'he must have gone down to the cliffs again, and he went into Kerrith before that.
I haven't seen him all day.'
'Yes, I heard he'd been to Kerrith but I missed him there,' said the harbour-master.
'He must have walked back across the cliffs when I was in my boat.
And I can't get hold of Mr Crawley either.'
'I'm afraid the ship has disorganised everybody,' I said.
'I was out on the cliffs and went without my lunch, and I know Mr Crawley was there earlier on.
What will happen to her?
Will tugs get her off, do you think?'
Captain Searle made a great circle with his hands.
"There's a hole that deep in her bottom,' he said, 'she'll not see Hamburg again.
Never mind the ship.
Her owner and Lloyd's agent will settle that between them.
No, Mrs de Winter, it's not the ship that's brought me here. Indirectly of course she's the cause of my coming.
The fact is, I've got some news for Mr de Winter, and I hardly know how to break it to him.'
He looked at me very straight with his bright blue eyes.
'What sort of news, Captain Searle?'
He brought a large white handkerchief out of his pocket and blew his nose.
'Well, Mrs de Winter, it's not very pleasant for me to tell you either.
The last thing I want to do is to cause distress or pain to you and your husband.
We' re all very fond of Mr de Winter in Kerrith, you know, and the family has always done a lot of good.
It's hard on him and hard on you that we can't let the past lie quiet.
But I don't see how we can under the circumstances.'