"
Marble looked inquisitive, but, at the same time, he looked knowing.
"I understand," he said, with a nod; "three people with six sets of
ears--is it not so, Miles?"
"Precisely; though you only do them credit by halves, for you should
have added to this inventory forty tongues."
"Well, that is a large supply. The man, or woman, who is so well
provided, should carry plenty of ballast. However, as you say, they're
out of hail now, and must guess at all they repeat, if repeating it
can be called."
"Quite as much as nine-tenths of what they give as coming from
others," observed Talcott. "People never can tell so much of other
person's affairs, without bailing out most of their ideas from their
own scuttle-butts."
"Well, let them go to--Bordeaux--" said I, "since they are bound
there. And now, my dear Marble, here we are, and dying to know all
that has happened to you. You have firm friends in Talcott and myself;
either of us, ready to give you his berth for the asking."
"Thank'ee, my dear boys--thank'ee, with all my heart and soul,"
returned the honest fellow, dashing the moisture from his eyes, with
the back of his hand. "I believe you would, boys; I do believe you
would, one or both. I am glad, Miles, you came up into this bloody
top, for I wouldn't like to let your reg'lar 'long-shore harpies see a
man of my time of life, and one that has been to sea, now, man and
boy, close on to forty years, with as much blubber about him, as one
of your right whales.
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