“Don’t,” I said with my eyes, as I screwed up my face quite firmly.
“I’m so glad I met you, as every one is so strange, and I don’t like to question the servants—I mean the stewards—because they are all so busy. How long will it be to breakfast?”
“Quite half-an-hour,” said the doctor, smiling, as he looked at his watch. “Hungry?”
“Oh no; I wanted to know if there would be time to see to my little charges first.”
“Your little— Oh yes, I remember the captain told me. You have quite a collection.”
“Yes, very large, and I am anxious to get them all across safely.”
“I wish you success, I’m sure,” said the doctor quietly. “You naturalists take a great deal of pains over your studies.”
“Oh, we do our best,” said the big man mildly, and it was just as if a girl was speaking. “Perhaps your two young gentlemen would like to see them.”
“To be sure they would,” said the doctor. “Let me introduce them. Let me see, your name is—”
“Preddle—Arthur Preddle.”