Some light was thrown upon the subject when they reached the station. The captain took some money out of his pocket and held it out to Bertie.
"Go and ask for the tickets," he said.
Bertie stared. If he had been told to go and ask the man in the moon for a lock of his hair he could not have been more puzzled.
"Do you hear what I say? Go and ask for the tickets."
"Tickets? Where for?"
The captain hesitated a moment, then said:
"Two first-class tickets for Constantinople."
He handed Bertie some silver coins.
"Two first-class tickets for Constantinople."
Bertie stammeringly repeated the words. Could the captain be in earnest?