"Yes, I'm mixed up in it."
"An' they a-doin' it fo' what? Fo' no betteh reason 'an to he'p them-ah damn' ovehwhelmin' furrinehs to escape the righteous judg-ments o' the Lawd! Young brotheh, my name is Jawn. Jawn the Babtiss, I am, an' as sich I p'otess! An' also an' mo'oveh I p'otess ag'in' any mo' leadin's f'om them-ah 'Piscopaliam play-actohs, an' still mo' f'om that-ah bodacious brick-top gal o' Gid Hayle's. Which she made opem spote o' my leadin's in 'istiddy's meet'n'! An' o' co'se! havin' a popish motheh."
"Oh!—my!—Lawd!" gasped Joy, and the commodore had begun to meet protest with protest, when Hugh touched him.
"This is too small for you. May I——?"
"Take it," said the grandfather and turned inquiringly to the nurse.
"Yaas, suh," she hurried to say, "my mist'ess ax de honoh to see you at de stateroom o' Mahs' Basile."
Meantime Hugh answered the complainant: "My friend, that young lady—you mustn't call her anything else again—made no sport of you whatever."
"Oh, dat she didn't, boss!" put in old Joy, breaking off from her talk with the commodore.
"Honestly, sir," continued Hugh, "I was afraid some one would, but I happened to see her from first to last, and——"
"Happ'm'd! The hell you happ'm'd! Yo' eyes 'uz dead sot on heh when they'd ought to been upraise' in prah!"