“But he has had reverses, too. He was in the Royal Navy, I have been told, and he had to give it up because his people—”
“More luck. The Royal Navy! Huh, all gold braid, an’ buy your own vittals. There’s no money in that game.”
“Money is not everything in the world. A man’s career may be more to him than the mere monetary aspect of it.”
“If ever you meet my missus, you’ll hear the other side of the question, Miss Maxwell. S’posin’ Courtenay was in the Navy, an’ had a wife an’ family to keep. Could he do it on his pay? Not he. As it is, he’s sure to marry a girl with a pile, and wind up a managing owner.”
“Perhaps he is engaged to some such young lady already?”
“Haven’t heard so. You may be sure there’s one waitin’ for him somewhere. I know. There’s no dodgin’ luck, good or bad. I thought it was goin’ to be that friend of yours, but she’s off the register, poor lass. There! I didn’t mean that. I’m an idiot, for sure. You see, I don’t talk much as a rule, Miss Maxwell, or I should know better than to chin-wag like a blazin’—huh, like a babblin’ fool.”
Elsie turned her face aside when he mentioned Isobel. It seemed to her sensitive soul an almost unfair thing that she should be gossiping about trivialities when the girl who had commenced this unlucky voyage in such high spirits was lying beneath that grim sea behind the smiling headland. Yet she knew that Boyle meant no harm by his chatter. He was weak from his wound, and perhaps a trifle light-headed as the result of being brought from the stuffy saloon to the airy and sunlit chart-room. So she crushed a sorrow that was unavailing, and strove to put the sailor at his ease again.
“I do not find any harm in your remark,” she said resolutely. “Were it possible, I should have been very pleased to see Miss Baring married to a man of strong character like Captain Courtenay. By the way, who is keeping watch on deck?”
“The doctor was here with me until a few minutes ago. Then the skipper telephoned him. I guess there is some one on the lookout, but you might just cast an eye shorewards. I’m not supposed to move yet.”
He wriggled uneasily in his chair, for the spirit was willing; but Elsie made him lie quiet; she rearranged his pillow, and stepped on to the bridge. By walking from port to starboard, and traversing the short length of the spar deck, she could command a view of the bay and of most parts of the ship. She heard the dog scuttling down the companion; on reaching the after-rail, she saw the captain engaged in earnest, low-toned conversation with Tollemache and Walker. They were standing on the main deck near the engine-room door, and examining something which resembled a lump of coal; she saw the engineer take three similar lumps from a pocket.