The Captain took back the paper on which his figures were written. “These officers are ill,” he said. “I may as well tell you that I was led to make enquiries entirely by the astonishing appearance of a midshipman I found standing on the quarter-deck. He was whiter than I care to see my midshipmen.”
“I will make a change, sir.”
“Yes.... In future, midshipmen will do duty in three watches, and they will not be below after 10 p.m. or before 5 a.m. That will ensure that they get a night’s sleep every other night.”
“I will give your instructions, sir.”
“And take the control of midshipmen entirely out of Mr. Aggett’s hands. Take charge of them yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That is all then, Engineer-Commander.”
The Engineer-Commander hesitated. Then he gathered courage. “If I might make a suggestion, sir: in the circumstances, you having spoken to a midshipman—probably the Gunroom is talking about it—would it be wise to make this change at once? And from the disciplinary point of view, sir, to take the midshipmen so suddenly out of Mr. Aggett’s hands might look like—like an aspersion, in the circumstances. A little delay, sir?”
The Captain shook his head.