‘We shall expect you to cover yourself with glory, colonel,’ said Mr. Johnson, in a familiar sarcastic voice; ‘and I shall be happy to write and print a full description of your behaviour, sir.’
‘I am quite willing to fight,’ exclaimed Mr. Fairthorne in an effeminate voice. ‘I mean that I shall be glad to thoot; but I am no thwordthman.’
‘Possengers hov no beesness to vight,’ exclaimed Mynheer Hemskirk, enlarging his immense waistcoat by obtruding his chest; ‘dey gets in der vay of dem as knows vot to do.’
Miss Temple bit her lip to conceal a smile.
‘That’s all very well,’ exclaimed Riley, talking at Miss Hudson; ‘but suppose, Hemskirk, you should find some greasy Spaniard with earrings and oily ringlets rifling your boxes, hauling out all the money you’ve got, pocketing that fine silver-mounted meerschaum pipe of yours’——
‘I vould coot orff hiss head,’ answered the Dutchman, breathing hard.
‘Gentlemen, you are unnecessarily alarming the ladies,’ cried old marline-spike from the head of the table.
‘I suppose there’s no lack of small-arms with you, captain?’ roared the Colonel; ‘plenty for us here as well as for your men?’
‘I shall insist upon your not meddling, Edward, in whatever may happen,’ cried his wife, giving him an emphatic nod over the edge of her fan with her Roman nose.
‘I shall meddle, then, my dear,’ he shouted. ‘If it comes to those rascals attacking us, I shall fight, as of course we all will,’ and again he bent his little fiery eyes upon Mr. Johnson.