"Well, what price me?" and hurried off ere I could answer him or thank him, as this form of salutation seemed to require. But he had more leisure at supper, to which he invited me in his cabin.
"We chaps have the benefit of a pleasure yacht, doctor," said he, winking, "and you bet I'm not purser for nothing. Blame me if I sup with that crew until they shake down a bit. Barraclough's all right, and a gentleman, but I can't stand Legrand or Holgate."
"I've met Mr. Holgate, and thought him intelligent," I ventured.
Lane emitted scorn. "Intelligent! He's a bladder of peas, and thinks himself a monarch. Precious little swank about him, if he can help it. He's fly enough there. Well, a tot won't hurt us now. I can tell you I've been hustled." He had recourse to a decanter of whisky. "This is the real stuff. I took care of that. Legrand can do on two-bob vitriol for all I care. He don't know the difference. Well, the boss's aboard and his crowd, and we're off, and here's fortune, doctor."
The toast was irreproachable, and I put down my glass and reverted to his phrase. "His crowd?"
"Yes, his sister and the other lady—rippers both. I saw them when they came aboard at Hamburg."
"And now can you tell me where we're going?" I asked.
"I don't know," said Lane carelessly. "I hope we're running out of this beastly weather—that's all."
"I merely engaged for twelve months," I put in.
"Same here, and that's good enough," said Lane. "I'll ask the old man to-morrow if his prickles don't stand up too thick. Here she goes, doctor."