Commander Dalton was grave and impassive. He spoke to Robert as one officer might to another on an official matter; his manner betokened an expectation on his part of receiving an absolutely frank report from the cadet lieutenant.
Instead of making any reply Robert approached the desk at which the commandant was sitting and handed him a folded sheet of paper.
"Who were the midshipmen, Mr. Drake? Or did you fail to recognize them?" And then after a pause, with a trace of annoyance in his voice due to Robert's backwardness in answering his questions, "Or is Grice's report incorrect?"
He looked at Robert with surprise as the latter made no effort whatever to reply. He then opened the paper and cried out in amazement: "You tender your resignation as a midshipman? What does this mean, sir? I have asked you certain questions which you do not answer, and then you resign. Come, Mr. Drake, explain yourself, sir! First tell me if Grice's statement is correct. Do you refuse to answer, sir?"
Still Robert was silent; he looked at the commandant with gloomy, troubled eyes.
"Mr. Drake, are you aware of what you are doing? Don't you know that persistence in this course will cause your summary dismissal?"
"Don't dismiss him, capting," cried out old Grice, now in great trouble about Robert. "He's a fine young gemman, 'deed he is, suh. I'll tell yo' who dese young gemmen wuz; he doan' want to tell yo', but I'll tell yo', capting, suh; dey wuz Mistah Stonewell and Mistah Harry Blunt, suh. I seed 'em, suh, and Mistah Drake seed 'em, and Mistah Drake doan' want ter tole yo', suh, becase——"
The commandant jumped from his chair as if he had been shot. "What are you talking about? You're demented!" he roughly cried. "Do you know who you are talking about? Do you know that Mr. Stonewell is cadet commander? Grice, you must be crazy!"
"Yes, suh, capting, suh; beggin' yo' pardin, suh, dat's why I didn't tole yo' befoah, suh. I knowed you'd say ole Grice wuz surely crazy; but de fax am, capting, that Mistah Stonewell, in his unerform—I counted de five gold stripes on his sleeve, suh, at de time—and Mistah Harry Blunt, the son of de ole commerdan', at 'bout 'leven 'clock las' night tried to steal a zamnation. I seed dem try, and Mistah Drake, he seen 'em try ter steal it. An' ef yo' doan' believe me, capting, yo' ask Mistah Drake; he knows Mistah Stonewell tried to steal the zamnation 'kase he seen him. Yo' ask Mistah Drake, capting."
"Mr. Drake," cried Commander Dalton, "you have heard this monstrous charge; I'm waiting for your indignant denial! Why are you silent? Are you mute, when you hear the character of the first midshipman of his time so shamefully assailed? You shall answer me! Do you understand that this negro says that you and he together saw Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Blunt attempt to steal an examination last night? Do you hear that, and are you silent, sir?"