Onslow shrugged his shoulders. “What can you expect at the price?” he asked. “This isn’t a twelve-pound-a-month berth; and you’ve threshed across the Atlantic in a worse ship for less.”
“Don’t you mistake me,” retorted Kettle. “I’m working for full value received; and there’s many an old sailor’d like to be in my shoes, if he only knew. I’m not grumbling at the berth, only when a man’s on a racket of this kind, it’s a bit hard on him to have a wife and kids he’s fool enough to be fond of. It’s an ugly amusement, lying to them like a play actor, when you know it’s ten chances to one you’ll never see English mud again. That’s the way it cuts, though I suppose you’ll think it all a sailor’s grumble. Perhaps you aren’t a married man?”
“No; I’m not.”
“But you’ve got people who care for you?”
Onslow gave the ghost of a smile, and then laughed. “No,” he said, “I can’t even boast of that. Acquaintances are mine in thousands; but friends—well, all friendship has its breaking strain. I’m a bit like that comfortable, contemptible person, the Miller of the Dee. I believe I did care for somebody once; and she made me think she cared for me. Probably she lied, because, under persuasion, she went off with another man. Bah! though, what does it matter? Kettle, we’re talking rank sentiment, and that’s an unprofitable employment for men engaged on a piece of delicate business. And—here’s a gentleman come to tell me that the consignment of specie is just commencing to arrive. Now, captain, the stuff’ll be in iron-bound boxes, and you and I have got to weigh each one separately, and check the invoice. Then we’re to act as our own stevedores, and stow half of it in the cabin next my room, and half of it across the alley-way next the mate’s.”
“Why divide it?”
“Because the weight is big, and it would give your steamer a heavy list to starboard.”
“Oh, as to that, never mind. We can easily bring her up again with a trimming tank; and I shouldn’t feel comfortable if any of the stuff was in that room next the mate’s. You see, Mr. Onslow, any one on board can go down that alley-way. In fact, it’s the only road from end to end of the ship, unless you go up over the bridge deck. And I’d not guarantee but what the bait wouldn’t make some of them beauties try and tamper with the door. It’s big enough to smudge the honesty of an archbishop, if he was only earning four pounds a month. Now, the room next yours has iron walls, and opens only into the inner cabin. There’s a good lock on it already, and if I make the carpenter bend on four more, you’ll have a strong-room the Bank of England might boast about.”
“That sounds sensible,” commented the envoy from the bank.
“Very well,” said Onslow, “I believe it is the best plan. Now, if you please, we’ll have the weighing-machine in the main cabin, and if you, sir, will instruct your men to bring in the boxes one by one, I’ll satisfy myself that they agree with the tally, and Captain Kettle shall build them up in the state-room before us both. It’s a very responsible job we have upon us, and the more counter-checkings and precautions we can put into it the better for our several reputations.”