He will go off and report that our ship's
company consists of two middle-aged maiden ladies (I occupied myself
with tatting a chair-cover while he conversed); a boy; Mr. Goodfellow
(whatever he may have made of Goodfellow); and two gentlemen ashore
to whose mental and physical powers I was careful to do some
injustice. You will pardon me, Captain, but I laid more than
warrantable stress on your lameness; and us for you, Jack, I depicted
you as a mere country booby"--here Mr. Rogers bowed amiably--"and
added by way of confirmation that I had known you from childhood.
He will go back and report all this, with the certain consequence
that he and his confederates will mistake us for a crew of
crack-brained eccentrics."
When she had done, the Captain stood considering for a moment,
rubbing his chin.
"Yes," he admitted slowly, "there seems reason in that, ma'am;
reason and method. But 'tis a kind of reason and method outside all
my experience, and you must excuse me if I get the grip of it slowly.
I should like a good look at the man before saying more."
"As to that," answered Miss Belcher, "you won't have long to wait
for it. He has invited us all ashore to-morrow, for a picnic.
He charged me to say--if he did not happen to run against you as he
was returning the cockboat--that he would be at the creek-head
punctually at nine-thirty to await us.
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