"Ah, like a top!" said the doctor, nodding. "Though, mind," he added, remembering his habits of thought and correcting himself cautiously, "I don't say, fra my own experience, that I should judge it a well-chosen worrrd as applied to tops. Accurately speaking (fra my own expeerience as a boy) I should say it was mair to the purpose for tops in general to refrain fra sedentary habits. However, that's as may be. I'll have more of the bacon and eggs, steward."
This was the first morning, incidentally, in which Dr. Kyle had given the letter "r" its full-wristed spin. He looked benevolently on them, and at the green glitter of the sea dancing outside the portholes.
"I mean," pursued Warren, looking at him curiously, "you didn't — that is, everything was all right when you woke up, was it?"
"Everything," said Dr. Kyle, "was fine." He paused, drawing down his brows thoughtfully. "Ah! Ye may be referring to that disturbance in the night, then?"
"Disturbance?" said Morgan. "Was there a disturbance?"
The other regarded him shrewdly, and in a way that disturbed him.
"I see, I see. You hadn't hearrd of it, then? Well, well, it didn't disturb me, Mr. Morgan, and all I heard was some speerited currsing on the deck. But I heard an account of it this morning, from a person of my acquaintance — which account I can't vouch for, you understand—"
"What happened?"
"Rape," said the doctor, succinctly, and closed one eye in a startlingly raffish fashion.
"Rape?" yelped Morgan. There are certain words which have a mysterious telepathic power. Although there was a buzz in the dining-room which drowned his voice, several heads were twitched in their direction. "Rape? My God! who was raped? What happened?"