“Do you mind that English young lady as Mr. Pennington was consortin’ with when we was here before, Chimmy, in the spring?”
The master-at-arms recalled her well.
“Mark my words, Chimmy,” said Mr. Keegan, impressively, as he went down the hatch, “he’ll be takin’ her home with him.”
Now the master-at-arms was inclined to doubt this. He was a personal friend of the senhora who did the cooking at the villa where the young lady lived, and the senhora had told him a great deal about the affair in question. How Mr. Pennington and Mr. Morgan were in the habit of going to the villa almost every evening, and how Mr. Morgan talked to the young lady’s father on the veranda, while Mr. Pennington and the young lady spent their time in the garden below or in the summer-house; and finally, a day or so before the ship sailed, how Mr. Pennington had asked her father a question (the character of which the senhora could only conjecture), and then had left the villa in haste. She had afterward overheard the young lady’s father express himself on the subject of naval officers, against whom he seemed to be particularly prejudiced. All of this the master-at-arms had confided to Mr. Keegan at the time; but nevertheless, Mr. Keegan had predicted trouble.
“He ain’t goin’ to heave to for the old one’s blessin’,” that worthy had said contemptuously; “not if I know Mr. Pennington, he ain’t. He’ll go back and get her when he gets a chance.” At that time the people of the Denver had not expected the ship to be ordered back to Madeira.
Afternoon found Mr. Keegan and the master-at-arms going ashore in a surf-boat. They both sat in the stern, and the buttons on their new mustering-clothes shone like bright-work. Mr. Keegan was more than usually silent and preoccupied, and when they arrived at the pier, instead of having his customary argument with the boatman over the fare, Mr. Keegan gave the man a dollar, greatly to the astonishment and indignation of his side partner, the master-at-arms. Mr. Keegan paid no attention whatever to his friend’s protestations, but climbed the stone steps, and led the way up the main street to the Plaza, where he turned into a wine-shop, and sat down at one of the tables.
“We’re not drinking to-day, you Dago,” he said, in response to the smiling inquiry of the proprietor. “Porto some cigarettos!” Thus having aired his Portuguese, and obtained the desired articles, Mr. Keegan produced a roll of bills from his pocket, which he had just received from the paymaster, and proceeded to count them over carefully.
“There, Chimmy,” he remarked, rolling his tobacco from one cheek to the other, as he laid the pile on the table; “I don’t get full this time, nor you don’t; what’s more, I don’t lend none of the bullies money. But if this here seventy-three dollars can help Mr. Pennington to get that there English young lady, and take her off in the packet to-night, he’s welcome to it; that’s all.” This was a very long speech for Mr. Keegan to make.
“Is he going to try it, Dennis?” asked the master-at-arms, incredulously.