Part 3 (2/2)
”Beastly,” said the mate absently, and, stifling a sigh, went below and turned in.
He lay awake for a few minutes, and then, well satisfied with the day's proceedings, turned over and fell asleep. He was pleased to discover, when he awoke, that the slight roll of the night before had disappeared, and that there was hardly any motion on the schooner. The pa.s.senger herself was already at the breakfast-table.
”Cap'n's on deck, I s'pose?” said the mate, preparing to resume negotiations where they were broken off the night before. ”I hope you feel better than you did last night.”
”Yes, thank you,” said she.
”You'll make a good sailor in time,” said the mate.
”I hope not,” said Miss Alsen, who thought it time to quell a gleam of peculiar tenderness plainly apparent in the mate's eyes. ”I shouldn't like to be a sailor even if I were a man.”
”Why not?” inquired the other.
”I don't know,” said the girl meditatively; ”but sailors are generally such scrubby little men, aren't they?”
”SCUBBY?” repeated the mate, in a dazed voice.
”I'd sooner be a soldier,” she continued; ”I like soldiers-they're so manly. I wish there was one here now.”
”What for?” inquired the mate, in the manner of a sulky schoolboy.
”If there was a man like that here now,” said Miss Alsen thoughtfully, ”I'd dare him to mustard old Towson's nose.”
”Do what?” inquired the astonished mate.
”Mustard old Towson's nose,” said Miss Alsen, glancing lightly from the cruet-stand to the portrait.
The infatuated man hesitated a moment, and then, reaching over to the cruet, took out the spoon, and with a pale, determined face, indignantly daubed the cla.s.sic features of the provision dealer. His indignation was not lessened by the behaviour of the temptress, who, instead of fawning upon him for his bravery, crammed her handkerchief to her mouth and giggled foolishly.
”Where's father,” she said suddenly, as a step sounded above. ”Oh, you will get it!”
She rose from her seat, and, standing aside to let her father pa.s.s, went on deck. The skipper sank on to a locker, and, raising the tea-pot, poured himself out a cup of tea, which he afterwards decanted into a saucer. He had just raised it to his lips, when he saw something over the rim of it which made him put it down again untasted, and stare blankly at the mantel-piece.
”Who the-what the-who the devil's done this?” he inquired in a strangulated voice, as he rose and regarded the portrait.
”I did,” said the mate.
”You did?” roared the other. ”You? What for?”
”I don't know,” said the mate awkwardly. ”Something seemed to come over me all of a sudden, and I felt as though I MUST do it.”
”But what for? Where's the sense of it?” said the skipper.
The mate shook his head sheepishly.
”But what did you want to do such a monkey-trick FOR?” roared the skipper.
”I don't know,” said the mate doggedly; ”but it's done, ain't it? and it's no good talking about it.”
<script>