She asked me what I waited for, and, one thing leading to another, she seemed in no hurry to quit me. And, indeed, we stood very snug, warm, and sheltered under the lee of the galley. We got upon the subject of the quarters below.
‘What sort of barracks have you?’ said I.
‘Come down and see them when you can,’ said she.
‘Whom must I apply to for permission?’ said I.
‘You’ll want no permission, I believe,’ she answered. ‘You belong to the ship. But I’ll speak to my husband, and the sergeant’ll make no difficulty.’
‘I should like to see the convicts’ quarters,’ said I.
‘You’ll be able to get a peep at them through the door in the steerage bulkhead. I may be able to manage that for you, too,’ said she. ‘Dick has sentry there for some time to-day. If you’ll stop here, I’ll find out at once, and come back and tell you the hour.’
I thanked her, earnestly hoping that the hour would fit in with my duties. Before she returned the cook was ready for me. I went toward the cuddy, and as I passed the booby-hatch the soldier’s wife came up.
‘You’re welcome to step below whenever you please,’ said she. ‘The sergeant’s got an eye upon you and wants to ’list you,’ she added, laughing. ‘And a sweet young soldier you’d make—a heart-breaker, indeed,’ said she, looking at me with a shake of the head. ‘Dick’s on sentry at twelve. If that’ll suit, come then. He’ll take no notice whilst you look.’
Twelve was the very hour I would have named. It was my dinner-hour, and I had a clear half-hour at the very least before helping to prepare the cuddy luncheon. When eight bells struck I came to the hatch, but warily. The doctor was talking to the captain at the after-end of the cuddy, and I did not mean that either of them should see where I was going. It still blew hard, and was very thick, and the officers were unable to get an observation of the sun. I stooped, that the two men in the cuddy might lose sight of me. By the looks of the sentry at the quarter-deck barricade I guessed he knew that I was going to pay his quarters a visit, and that it was all right. But I cared not who saw me descend unless it were the officers of the ship and guard.