Chapter 5 - Page 2

knew, and see what came of it, and act accordingly. Lastly, that
when they got there they should enter the village with all precautions
against Hugh's being recognised by any chance; and that to the captain
should be consigned the task of preparing his wife and mother for his
restoration to this life.

"For you see," quoth Captain Jorgan, touching the last head, "it requires
caution any way, great joys being as dangerous as great griefs, if not
more dangerous, as being more uncommon (and therefore less provided
against) in this round world of ours. And besides, I should like to free
my name with the ladies, and take you home again at your brightest and
luckiest; so don't let's throw away a chance of success."

The captain was highly lauded by the brothers for his kind interest and
foresight.

"And now stop!" said the captain, coming to a standstill, and looking
from one brother to the other, with quite a new rigging of wrinkles about
each eye; "you are of opinion," to the elder, "that you are ra'ather
slow?"

"I assure you I am very slow," said the honest Hugh.

"Wa'al," replied the captain, "I assure you that to the best of my belief
I am ra'ather smart. Now a slow man ain't good at quick business, is
he?"

That was clear to both.

"You," said the captain, turning to the younger brother, "are a little in
love; ain't you?"

"Not a little, Captain Jorgan."

"Much or little, you're sort preoccupied; ain't you?"

It was impossible to be denied.

"And a sort preoccupied man ain't good at quick business, is he?" said
the captain.

Equally clear on all sides.

"Now," said the captain, "I ain't in love myself, and I've made many a
smart run across the ocean, and I should like to carry on and go ahead
with this affair of yours, and make a run slick through it. Shall I try?
Will you hand it over to me?"

They were both delighted to do so, and thanked him heartily.

"Good," said the captain, taking out his watch. "This is half-past eight
a.m., Friday morning. I'll jot that down, and we'll compute how many
hours we've been out when we run into your mother's post-office. There!
The entry's made, and now we go ahead."

They went ahead so well that before the Barnstaple lawyer's office was
open next morning, the captain was sitting whistling on the step of the
door, waiting for the clerk to come down the street with his key and open
it. But instead of the clerk there came the master, with whom the
captain fraternised on the spot to an extent that utterly confounded him.