I looked up at the Admiral to steady myself. I had never before considered his features sardonic. He seemed to grin.
"W-what the devil's the matter with everything to-day!" I exclaimed, getting up and beginning to pace the room.
But there was no use blustering. I suspected what the matter was. I was falling in love with Thusis.
"Good Lord!" said I in unfeigned distress, "an adventuress camouflaged as a servant! Has an O'Ryan come to this?"
Smith opened the door. He was in his shirt sleeves and had a pipe in one hand, a book in the other.
"Whatthehellsthematter?" he asked. "You're thumping about in here like an epileptic cat."
I told him I was exercising.
"Well, you'd better exercise your legs down the stairs," he remarked; "there's a wagonful of tourists at the front door."
"The deuce there is!"
"Look out of the window and then get a wiggle on."