"Nothing bad about them, I hope?" said the captain, with pretended
anxiety.
Edward shook his head. "I was merely envying Miss Drewitt her possession
of you," he said, carelessly, "and I was just about to remark that I
wished you were my uncle too, when she came indoors. I suppose she
wanted you to hear it."
Miss Drewitt started violently, and her cheek flamed at the meanness of
the attack.
"I wish I was, my lad," said the admiring captain.
"It would be the proudest moment of my life," said Edward, deliberately.
"And mine," said the captain, stoutly.
"And the happiest."
The captain bowed. "Same here," he said, graciously.
Miss Drewitt, listening helplessly to this fulsome exchange of
compliments, wondered whether they had got to the end. The captain
looked at Mr. Tredgold as though to remind him that it was his turn.
"You--you were going to show me a photograph of your first ship," said
the latter, after a long pause. "Don't trouble if it's upstairs."
"It's no trouble," said the captain, briskly.
He rose to his feet and the hand of the indignant Prudence, dislodged
from his knee, fell listlessly by her side.
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