"Oh, three pounds a week. But I get tips from gentlemen and lots of kisses from sweet ladies. Then I share some of my money with Adolph."
"And who may Adolph be?"
"Oh, he is head waiter at the C---- Hotel. He was steward of the Macbeth, and my comrade through all that terrible time on Great Snake Island."
"Then the mutiny and all that is really true, Charlie?"
"Yes sir, though the plebs hardly believe it, and I do love Adolph very much. An Austrian he is, sir, but we talk in French."
"Well, we have a berth open for your comrade, Charlie, and we'd like, but it is a matter of business.--We couldn't give you £3 a week, and there are no sweet ladies on board to shower kisses on you."
"Oh, sir," said Kep laughing, "I can easily go on shore for the kisses."
"We are going back to Africa again to make the slave-dealers hum, and there we need an interpreter, but he must understand Spanish and Portuguese as well as Arabic."
"Hurrah! Pardon me, Lieutenant Guilford, but I couldn't really help saying 'Hurrah!' I'm as good as rated--interpreter to H.M.S. Breezy."
"Good-night, boy. Come in the first dog watch to-morrow evening, and you shall hear our conclusion."