A loud burst of laughter arose. Personal allusions equally glove-fitting were made to Mrs. Kobbe, to Miss Pray, to me, and to the "Eliza Rodgers."
"Say! come to have your pictures took?" bawled the first merry fellow, as the height of sarcasm and quintessence of a joke.
"Look a' here, major," almost wept poor Captain Pharo, "how in thunder 'd they find that out?"
"Never mind," said I; "we're going up to the hotel, and we'll have a better dinner than they ever dreamed of."
"Afore I'm took to the dagarrier's?"
"Yes, indeed."
"See here, wife!" said Captain Pharo, completely broken down—for we were all suffering, as usual, from the generic emptiness and craving of our natures for food—"major says 't we're goin' up to git baited, afore I'm took to the dagarrier's."
"I wish 't you could have your picture took jest as you look now, Captain Pharo Kobbe!" exclaimed his wife kindly and admiringly.
At the inn the most conspicuous object in the reception-room was a sink of water, with basins for ablutions.
Captain Pharo waited, visibly holding the leash on his impatience, for a "runner"—or travelling salesman—to complete his bath, when he plunged in gleefully, face and hands. Mrs. Kobbe drew him away with dismay. The paste that had endured the whole sea voyage he had now ruthlessly washed from one side of his head, the locks on the other side still standing out ebullient.