“You’ll have to tell him,” Edmund was saying.
“But what am I to say?”
“Stick to what we arranged. You must chalk it all down to Jakoub.”
I perceived from their voices that they thought I was asleep, and though their conversation had conveyed no meaning to me, I did not want to overhear more. I coughed and sat up.
“I hope we have not disturbed you?” Welfare asked, looking, I thought, a little guilty.
“Not at all. But I’m afraid I have dozed a little over this most interesting book. It’s the sea air, and the motion.”
“Quite so, quite so,” said Captain Welfare solemnly.
Edmund said nothing and went on deck.
Captain Welfare sat down facing me in one of the revolving chairs on the opposite side of the table.
His eyes looked distressful in the midst of his great cicatrix of a face, and I noticed perspiration on his forehead and upper lip.