“Very sorry, sir, but something’s torturing me. Do you think we’ve got as far as France yet?”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“Do you think, if I give master warning, he’d have me set ashore at once?”
“No,” said Jack, with a touch of exultation in his words; “I’m sure he wouldn’t. You’ll have to go with us now.”
“I couldn’t, sir, I couldn’t really. Why, I couldn’t go round this room—cabin, or whatever you call it. Oh dear! oh dear! to think of me turning all of a sudden like this! It’s awful.”
“Here, Jack! Jack, lad! Aren’t you coming on deck?” cried a voice down through the cabin skylight.
“Oh, there’s the doctor,” groaned Edward. “Why don’t he come down?”
“Jack! are you there? It’s splendid. Come up.”
“Come down, sir, please,” groaned the man.
“Hullo!” said the doctor to himself. “Why surely they’re not— Oh! they can’t be so soon.”