“Ay, ay, sir,” said a thickset dark man, saluting, man-o’-war fashion.
“Come, Mr Leigh, you and I will walk on, and you shall dine to-night with the admiral. I told him I should bring you to dinner, but Lieutenant Lipscombe has given you so bad a character that the admiral declared you would take the bribe, and have to go to prison and wait your court-martial. Here, you need not doubt me. Come along.”
Hilary felt giddy. The reaction was almost more than he could bear. He felt hurt and insulted that such a trick should have been played upon him, and he was ready to turn from the captain in an injured way.
The latter saw it and smiled.
“Yes,” he said, taking the young man’s arm, “it was a dirty trick, but it was a necessity. We have several black sheep in the navy, my lad, and we want to weed them out; but after all, I do not regret what I have done, since it has taught me what stuff we have got in it as well. Come, shake hands, my dear boy, you and I must be great friends from now.”
Hilary held out his hand as he drew it from the other’s arm, and they stood there gripping each other for some seconds in a cordial grasp.
“I don’t think I could have stood fire like you did, Leigh,” said the captain, as they were entering Portsmouth, the latter proving to be a man of a genial temperament that rapidly won upon his companion.
“I hope you could, far better, sir,” said Hilary frankly.
“Why? How so, my lad?”
“I felt horribly frightened, sir.”