“Assaulted you! I should say he had. Labe Ginn, what did you assault him for?”
Mr. Ginn glared at his victim.
“Blackguard, am I?” he growled. “Humph! Well, if he starts to callin' me names, I'll—”
“Belay! Answer me! What have you been doin' to him? Look at him! What do you mean by assaultin' him that way?”
“What do I mean? When a man comes home from sea and finds another man kissin' his wife, what would he be likely to mean?”
Daniel could not answer. He looked about him in absolute bewilderment. Gertrude choked and turned away.
“Kissin'!” repeated Captain Dan. “Kissin' your wife? Kissin' ZUBA! I—I—am I crazy, or are you, or—or is he?”
Apparently he judged the last surmise to be the most likely. Cousin Percy, frantic with rage and humiliation, tried to protest.
“It's a lie!” he cried. “It's a lie!”
The captain turned to his housekeeper.