"You
conduct yourself like a gentleman, sir, and I am not at all disposed to
embarrass you unnecessarily."
"Thank you, sir; I appreciate your courtesy."
"I am afraid it is not so much courtesy as it is desperation, for if I
should act in accordance with my feelings, I should blow my brains out
without any delay," said Captain Dinsmore. "I should not say as much as
this to any but a generous enemy; but I feel that I am ruined, and that
there is nothing more in the future for me."
Christy really sympathized with him, and could not help thinking how
he should feel if the situations were reversed. He realized that the
commander of the Scotian had been very careless in the discharge of
his duty in permitting any vessel to come alongside of her without
considering that she might be an enemy. This inefficiency was doubtless
the cause of his distress. Christy had kept uppermost in his mind the
advice of his father at the last moment before he sailed, and he asked
himself if, while the prisoner was thus exciting his sympathy and
compassion, the latter was not expecting the Arran would appear and
reverse the fortunes of war.
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