"I am, as yet, Mr. Derval Hampton to you, sir," said our hero sharply.
"I beg your pardon, Mister Hampton," said he, lifting his cap impertinently.
"Yes; and I am third mate of this ship."
"I am the first, which you'll find out in time, so let us know each other at once. I am a sharp hand at my duty, and stand no nonsense—so keep a bright look-out, I say!" he added, adopting a bullying tone, as he had evidently been drinking; and he interlarded his conversation with many "strange oaths," which we cannot commit to paper.
"You are, I understand, a cousin of my step-mother?" said Derval, not unwilling to try and conciliate this truculent fellow, with whom his lot would be unluckily cast for some time.
"Yes, first cousin; and she told me to look very particularly after you."
"Indeed—very kind of her! But I can look pretty well after myself, and others too."
"I believe you are apt to cut up rough on occasions, and lay out to windward if you can."
"Indeed!" said Derval, his choler rising.
"And I was to see that you did your duty well, to ship and owners."