A yellower set, or a bluer in the
gills, you never set eyes on. They came aboard, and the skipper,
having made some inquiries of me, called up Link, cleared his throat
quite in the old approved style, and began to make a speech.
"Link cut it short.
"'All right, my precious swine! Now step below and wash off the
traces. If you behave pretty, maybe I'll not report you.'"
VIII.
"That finished the lot," wound up the Schoolmaster. "There _was_ no
answer to it, if you come to think."
"And Link never told?"
"Never a word, sir. Nor did I. But the story leaked out somehow,
and it gave the Commander the whip-hand of his Committee, to ship a
new set of officers. Ship and tender, sir, the _Egeria_ nowadays is
something to be proud of. But for my part I don't go on any more of
these summer cruises. The open sea never suited my stomach, and I
prefer a walk for my holiday."
LIEUTENANT LAPENOTIERE.
The night-porter at the Admiralty had been sleeping in his chair.
He was red-eyed and wore his livery coat buttoned at random.
He grumbled to himself as he opened the great door.
He carried a glass-screened candle, and held it somewhat above the
level of his forehead--which was protuberant and heavily pock-marked.
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