Dawes looked up again. This was a strange parson.
And then she pressed her hands over her eyes and shuddered. There, there,鈥� says Vickers soothingly, don鈥檛 be afraid, Poppet; he can鈥檛 hurt you now.鈥�
But, Sarah, consider 鈥斺��
Come aboard again!鈥� ejaculated Frere. Why, I didn鈥檛 know that she had been ashore. Where did she go?鈥� He spoke with an air of confident authority, and Blunt 鈥� no longer the bluff tyrant of old 鈥� seemed to quail before him. The trial of the mutineers of the Malabar had ruined Phineas Blunt. Make what excuses he might, there was no concealing the fact that Pine found him drunk in his cabin when he ought to have been attending to his duties on deck, and the authorities鈥� could not, or would not, pass over such a heinous breach of discipline. Captain Blunt 鈥� who, of course, had his own version of the story 鈥� thus deprived of the honour of bringing His Majesty鈥檚 prisoners to His Majesty鈥檚 colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen鈥檚 Land, went on a whaling cruise to the South Seas. The influence which Sarah Purfoy had acquired over him had, however, irretrievably injured him. It was as though she had poisoned his moral nature by the influence of a clever and wicked woman over a sensual and dull-witted man. Blunt gradually sank lower and lower. He became a drunkard, and was known as a man with a grievance against the Government鈥�. Captain Frere, having had occasion for him in some capacity, had become in a manner his patron, and had got him the command of a schooner trading from Sydney. On getting this command 鈥� not without some wry faces on the part of the owner resident in Hobart Town 鈥� Blunt had taken the temperance pledge for the space of twelve months, and was a miserable dog in consequence. He was, however, a faithful henchman, for he hoped by Frere鈥檚 means to get some Government billet鈥濃�� the grand object of all colonial sea captains of that epoch.
Yes!鈥� laughed Pine. Why, man, she was making eyes at every man in the ship! I caught her kissing a soldier once.鈥�
My dear sir,鈥� replied North, alive to the importance of conciliating the surgeon, you haven鈥檛 seen him lately. He tried to drown himself this morning.鈥�
Nothing, you infernal ass and idiot,鈥� burst out Mr. Richard, white with rage, except that I should have had this instantly. Can鈥檛 you see it鈥檚 marked urgent? Can you read? Can you spell? There, that will do. No lies. Get out!鈥�