“Implicitly, sir, I think,” said Tom, catching Hardy's eye, which was dancing with fun.
“Of course he did. You hear that, Jack. Now my notion about triremes—”
A knock at the door interrupted the Captain again, and Blake came in and was introduced.
“Mr. Blake is almost our best scholar, father; you should appeal to him about the cushions.”
“I am very proud to make your acquaintance, sir,” said the Captain; “I have heard my son speak of you often.”
“We were talking about triremes,” said Tom; “Captain Hardy thinks the oars must have been twenty feet long.”
“Not easy to come forward well with that sort of oar,” said Blake; “they must have pulled a slow stroke.”
“Our torpid would have bumped the best of them,” said Hardy.
“I don't think they could have made more than six knots,” said the Captain; “but yet they used to sink one another, and a light boat going only six knots couldn't break another in two amid-ships. It's a puzzling subject, Mr. Blake.”
“It is, sir,” said Mr. Blake; “if we only had some of their fo'castle songs we should know more about it. I'm afraid they had no Dibdin.”