"How happy could I be with either were t'other instructor away," said Jokim, rubbing his pleased sides with rapturous content. "Or, happier still," he added, sotto voce, "if both would take themselves off."
In his secret heart the Cap'en looks upon Arnold-Forster as a landlubber.
"He wouldn't," he says, with fine scorn, "know how to belay a sheet when a ship was stepping fore and aft under a booming north-wester. I'd lay a rope's end to a bumboat-man's back that he couldn't pass a spare spar through the man-hole without first pulling up the trysail."
Arnold-Forster, on his part, suspects the Cap'en hasn't seen nearly so much of the wild ocean as casual observations dropped by him may indicate. He makes much of certain variations in the old salt's story of how he came to lose his hand in the service of his country. There is, certainly, some doubt as to whether it was the Prince Consort or Albert Prince of Wales who sent him that famous letter accompanying the hook which at this day enables the Cap'en to overhaul the estimates. But this is due rather to wealth of experience than to poverty of veracity. When a man has seen everything, gone so far, and knows so much as Tommy, he may be forgiven if occasionally he mixes up a name or two, a date, or an episode.
Some uneasiness in ministerial circles last week upon observation of Macartney going about his country's business in white ducks. These are, so to speak, Cap'en Tommy's colours. Always ducks them when he goes on the warpath against the Admiralty. For the Secretary of all men, he the only man, to follow Tommy's example in this respect didn't look well. Was said to be a hint to whom it might concern that if the department didn't treat him with more respect, Macartney would carry over to the enemy his stored wealth of naval knowledge. Since Private Hanbury got his stripes, and is now referred to in debate as "The Honourable Corporal," Cap'en has no party. With Macartney forming the nucleus of one, who knows what might not happen?
House relieved to-night to find Secretary to Admiralty has hauled down sign of revolt, and put on ordinary trousers. If there was anything in the incident, all is well now. That there may have been appears from the Cap'en's unusually embittered tone when the subject is alluded to.
"Call them ducks!" he cried in scorn. "They were only white drawers. No member of this House should attempt to walk up the floor in ducks unless he is prepared to keep on his domestic staff a man who has made the garment a life-long study; who knows how to wash it, starch it, iron it, and, above all, to fold it up."
Business done.—Appropriation Bill brought in.
"Swaziland, my Swaziland."