When we
parted yesterday ahfternoon, Lady Waynflete, I was unaware that in
the course of your visit to my ship you had entirely altered the
sleeping arrangements of my stokers. I thahnk you. As captain of
the ship, I am customairily cawnsulted before the orders of
English visitors are carried out; but as your alterations appear
to cawndooce to the comfort of the men, I have not interfered with
them.
LADY CICELY. How clever of you to find out! I believe you know
every bolt in that ship.
Kearney softens perceptibly.
SIR HOWARD. I am really very sorry that my sister-in-law has taken
so serious a liberty, Captain Kearney. It is a mania of hers--
simply a mania. Why did your men pay any attention to her?
KEARNEY (with gravely dissembled humor). Well, I ahsked that
question too. I said, Why did you obey that lady's orders instead
of waiting for mine? They said they didn't see exactly how they
could refuse. I ahsked whether they cawnsidered that discipline.
They said, Well, sir, will you talk to the lady yourself next
time?
LADY CICELY. I'm so sorry. But you know, Captain, the one thing
that one misses on board a man-of-war is a woman.
KEARNEY. We often feel that deprivation verry keenly, Lady
Waynflete.
LADY CICELY. My uncle is first Lord of the Admiralty; and I am
always telling him what a scandal it is that an English captain
should be forbidden to take his wife on board to look after the
ship.
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