‘I’m perfectly satisfied, Will. I wish I could see Tom. I want to see him with my own eyes.’
‘Hold the bucket so,’ said he, ‘and I’ll pump. Oh, never mind the sentry. No notice is taken of soldiers at this end of the ship. I could hug you for your pluck, I could. After all these days of black hole under here to talk to the captain and doctor as I heard you! Where do you sleep?’
All this while he was pretending to work the brake of the pump as though something was wrong with it. I answered.
‘Come, that’s good,’ said he; ‘a cabin to yourself! They couldn’t have given you more had they charged you sixty guineas.’
‘I have no mattress and nothing to sleep on but the bunk-boards,’ said I.
‘And no bedclothes, of course?’ said he.
‘The steward has promised me the loan of a blanket if he can find one.’
‘Leave me to see what I can do,’ he exclaimed.
‘Run no risks, Will, for both our sakes.’
‘Do you want your money, Marian?’