The captain took a seat and the pen, looked a while helplessly at the paper, then at Huish. The swing had gone the other way; there was a blur upon his eyes. “It’s a dreadful business,” he said, with a strong twitch of his shoulders.
“It’s rather a start, no doubt,” said Huish. “Tyke a dip of ink. That’s it. William John Hattwater, Esq. Sir:” he dictated.
“How do you know his name is William John?” asked Davis.
“Saw it on a packing-case,” said Huish. “Got that?”
“No,” said Davis. “But there’s another thing. What are we to write?”
“O my golly!” cried the exasperated Huish. “Wot kind of man do you call yourself? I’m goin’ to tell you wot to write; that’s my pitch; if you’ll just be so bloomin’ condescendin’ as to write it down! William John Attwater, Esq., Sir:” he reiterated. And, the captain at last beginning half mechanically to move his pen, the dictation proceeded: “It is with feelings of shyme and ’artfelt contrition that I approach you after the yumiliatin’ events of last night. Our Mr. ’Errick has left the ship, and will have doubtless communicated to you the nature of our ’opes. Needless to s’y, these are no longer possible: Fate ’as declyred against us, and we bow the ’ead. Well awyre as I am of the just suspicions with w’ich I am regarded, I do not venture to solicit the fyvour of an interview for myself, but in order to put an end to a situytion w’ich must be equally pyneful to all, I ’ave deputed my friend and partner, Mr. J. L. Huish, to l’y before you my proposals, and w’ich by their moderytion, will, I trust, be found to merit your attention. Mr. J. L. Huish is entirely unarmed, I swear to Gawd! and will ’old ’is ’ands over ’is ’ead from the moment he begins to approach you. I am your fytheful servant, John Dyvis.”
Huish read the letter with the innocent joy of amateurs, chuckled gustfully to himself, and reopened it more than once after it was folded, to repeat the pleasure, Davis meanwhile sitting inert and heavily frowning.
Of a sudden he rose; he seemed all abroad. “No!” he cried. “No! it can’t be! It’s too much; it’s damnation. God would never forgive it.”
“Well, and ’oo wants Him to?” returned Huish, shrill with fury. “You were damned years ago for the Sea Rynger, and said so yourself. Well then, be damned for something else, and ’old your tongue.”
The captain looked at him mistily. “No,” he pleaded, “no, old man! don’t do it.”