“No, wait another half-hour. Very ill-advised thing to do. I cannot think what you were doing, Mr Gurr, to advise me to do such a thing.”
“Me, sir?” said the master, looking astonished.
“Yes. A great pity. I ought not to have listened to you; but in my anxiety to leave no stone unturned to capture some of these scoundrels, I was ready to do anything.”
“Very true, sir.”
“Now, my good fellow, what do you mean by that?”
“It was only an observation, sir.”
“Then I must request that you will not make it again. ‘Very true?’ Of course, what I say is very true. Do you think I should say a thing that was false?”
“Beg pardon, sir. ’Fraid I picked up some awk’ard expressions aboard the old frigate.”
“Awk-ward, Mr Gurr, awkward.”
“Yes, sir; of course.”