"I will inform him of
your message--I had no idea that he had quitted the deck;" and the first
lieutenant left me. I exchanged a few compliments and a little news with
the officers on deck, who appeared to be very gentlemanlike fellows,
when the first lieutenant requested my presence in the cabin. I
descended--the door was opened--I was announced by the first lieutenant,
and he quitted the cabin. I looked at the captain, who was sitting at
the table: he was a fine, stout man, with two or three ribands at his
button-hole, and a large pair of moustachios. I thought that I had seen
him before, but I could not recollect when: his face was certainly
familiar to me, but, as I had been informed by the officers on deck,
that the captain was a Count Shucksen, a person I had never heard of, I
thought that I must be mistaken. I therefore addressed him in French,
paying him a long compliment, with all the necessary _et ceteras_.
The captain turned round to me, took his hand away from his forehead,
which it had shaded, and looking me full in the face, replied, "Mr
Simple, I don't understand but very little French. Spin your yarn in
plain English."
I started--"I thought that I knew your face," replied I; "am I
mistaken?--no, it must be--Mr Chucks!"
"You are right, my dear Mr Simple: it is your old friend, Chucks, the
boatswain, whom you now see. I knew you as soon as you came up the side,
and I was afraid that you would immediately recognize me, and I slipped
down into the cabin (for which apparent rudeness allow me to apologise),
that you might not explain before the officers.
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