"I thought that if he were to recall something, if he would make some explanation, which he might without any peril to honor--"
"That's exactly how it was; and when I heard he was in a scrape I started off to Portsmouth to see him."
"You did?" exclaimed Augustus, looking now with a very different expression at the other.
"To be sure I did; I went down by the mail train, and stayed with him till the one-forty express started next day, and I might have saved myself the trouble."
"Not a bit,--as well talk to that oak sideboard there; he 'd sit and smoke, and chat very pleasantly, too, about anything, I believe. He 'd tell about his life up in town, and what he lost at the races, and how near he was to a good thing on the Riddlesworth; but not a word, not so much as a syllable would he say about his own hobble. It was growing late. We had had a regular bang-up breakfast--turtle steaks and a devilled lobster, and plenty of good champagne--not the sweet stuff your father gives us down here, but dry 'mum,' that had a flavor of Marco-brunner about it. He 's a rare fellow to treat a man, is Jack; and so I said,--not going about the bush, but bang into the thicket at once,--'What's this stupid row you 've got into with your Admiral? what's it all about?'
"'It's about a service regulation, Master Cutbill,' said he, with a stiff look on him. 'A service regulation that you would n't understand if you heard it.'
"'You think,' said I, 'that out of culverts and cuttings, Tom Cutbill's opinion is not worth much?'
"'No, no, not that, Cutbill. I never said that,' said he, laughing; 'but you see that we sailors not only have all sorts of technicals for the parts of a ship, but we have technical meanings for even the words of common life, so that though I might call you a consummate humbug, I could n't say as much to a Vice-Admiral without the risk of being judged by professional etiquette.'
"'But you did n't call him that, did you?' said I.
"'I 'll call _you_ worse, Cutty,' says he, laughing, 'if you don't take your wine.'
"'And now, Jack,' said I, 'it's on the stroke of one; I must start with the express at one-forty, and as I came down here for nothing on earth but to see if I could be of any use to you, don't let me go away only as wise as I came; be frank and tell me all about this business, and when I go back to town it will push me hard if I can't do something with the Somerset House fellows to pull you through.'