“All the world and his wife too, as the saying is,” returned the delighted Captain.
At the word “wife” (which he had uttered without design), the Captain stopped, cocked his eye again, and putting the glazed hat on the top of the knobby stick, gave it a twirl, and looked sideways at his always smiling friend.
“I’d bet a gill of old Jamaica,” said the Captain, eyeing him attentively, “that I know what you’re a smiling at.”
Mr Carker took his cue, and smiled the more.
“It goes no farther?” said the Captain, making a poke at the door with the knobby stick to assure himself that it was shut.
“Not an inch,” said Mr Carker.
“You’re thinking of a capital F perhaps?” said the Captain.
Mr Carker didn’t deny it.
“Anything about a L,” said the Captain, “or a O?”
Mr Carker still smiled.