“Tut—tut—tut! What is the use of having you for my first officer. You ought to have searched everywhere, and found it.”
“We did search everywhere, sir, nearly, but didn’t find it.”
“Oh! What’s that? Nearly? Then where didn’t you search?”
Archy told him and his reasons.
“Humph! Ha! Well, I don’t know: Government has no bowels of compassion, Mr Raystoke. I’m afraid you ought to have searched the Gloves.”
“Hoze, sir, Hoze.”
“Oh well, gloves, hose, gloves, all the same; only one’s for downstairs, the other up. Stupid name for a place.”
“You think, then, I haven’t done my duty, sir.”
“Yes, Mr Raystoke, as an officer I do; but as a gentleman I’m afraid I think I should have done just the same.”
“I’m very sorry, sir. I wanted to do what is right.”