“I wish you would turn one of my father's favorite songs into anapaests for him,” said Hardy.
“What are they?” said Blake.
“'Tom Bowling,' or 'The wind that blows, and the ship that goes, and the lass that loves a sailor.'”
“By the way, why shouldn't we have a song?” said Tom.
“What do you say, Captain Hardy?”
The Captain winced a little as he saw his chance of expounding his notion as to triremes slipping away, but answered:
“By all means, sir; Jack must sing for me though. Did you ever hear him sing 'Tom Bowling!'”
“No, never, sir. Why, Hardy, you never told me you could sing.”
“You never asked me,” said Hardy, laughing; “but if I sing for my father, he must spin us a yarn.”
“Oh yes; will you, sir!”