The Captain had almost let out another “Bother!” but he gulped it down with a great effort.
“If you please!” said he, and Sir Joseph entered the cabin with Captain Corcoran, followed by his two plain sisters, his three ugly aunts, and all his pretty cousins. Refreshments had thoughtfully been provided for them in the ward-room, (which is the apartment assigned to the lieutenants on board a man-o’-war), and they enjoyed a delightful luncheon in the agreeable society of the junior officers in gilt buttons and gold epaulettes, who paid even more attention to Sir Joseph’s plain sisters and ugly aunts than they did to his younger and more attractive relations; which shows what thoroughly well-bred gentlemen British naval officers are. Plain elderly people are just as hungry as young and pretty ones; and nobody ought to make any distinction between them. While Sir Joseph communicated his matrimonial intentions at great length to Captain Corcoran in his private cabin, the crew broke up and withdrew to the forecastle to discuss the events of the morning.
LUNCHEON IN THE WARD-ROOM
“Ah!” said Mr. Bobstay, “Sir Joseph’s a true gentleman; courteous and considerate to the very humblest.”
“Well spoke! Well spoke!” they all cried. (They should have said “spoken,” and would have done so if their education had been properly attended to.)
You see, these poor ignorant sailors were not shrewd enough to understand that Sir Joseph had his reasons for flattering them so outrageously. He longed for “popularity,” and determined to acquire it at any price, and it is quite clear that, as far as the crew of the Pinafore was concerned, he had fully achieved his object.
“Hold hard!” said another of the crew, Bill Bowling by name, “we are not as humble as all that. Sir Joseph has explained our true position to us, and if he says that a British sailor is any man’s equal, why it’s our duty to believe him!”
“That’s right enough!” muttered all the sailors, except Dick Deadeye, who knew better.
“You’re on the wrong tack,” said he, “and so’s Sir Joseph. He means well, but he don’t know. When people have to obey other people’s orders, equality’s out of the question.”