She gave what seemed to me to be a gasp of horror.
“Oh, yes, you can. You’ll get to love it before you’ve done.”
“Love it! Love the sea! No one ever loves the sea.”
“Don’t they? That’s where you’re wrong. I do, for one.”
“My lord!”
All in a second down she flopped upon the deck. I was never so flummoxed in my life. I couldn’t think what was wrong.
“Miss Batters! What is wrong?”
She turned her lovely face up to me—still on her knees.
“Are you the lord of the sea?”
“The lord of the sea! For goodness sake get up. The watch ’ll think you’re mad. Or that I’m threatening to murder you.” I had to lift her before she’d move. Then she seemed reluctant to stand upright in my august presence. I tried my best to disabuse her mind of some of her wild notions. “I’m a plain sailor man, I am. I’ve sailed the sea, boy and man, the best part of my life; east and west, north and south. And though I don’t mind owning I like a spell of dry land for a change, it would be strange if I hadn’t grown to love it. I’m ready to grumble at it with any man. I’m no more lord of the sea than you are. I’m just captain of this ship. That’s all.”