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"Hush, my dear," said Mrs Gilmour reprovingly, but obliged to laugh too in spite of herself, although she tried to hide it for fear Hellyer would think they were making fun of him; and she turned to him to say, "We expect the Captain, Hellyer, every minute. Why, here he is!" There he was, most decidedly; and he soon made his presence known.
"I've got a letter for you, sir," replied Hellyer, handing an envelope over to him, and saluting him in the same way as he had done Mrs Gilmour just before. "Here it is, sir!" "Humph!" ejaculated Captain. Dresser, opening the missive and running his eyes over the contents. "Here's some good news for you, Master Bob." "Oh?" said the latter expectantly. "Good news, Captain?"
"Don't tell me," he cried, "of your `whitehead' going twenty knots an hour and exploding its charge of gun-cotton under a ship's bottom; for, where and what would those on board the ship be doing all the time standing still, I suppose, to be shot at and doing nothing in their own defence?" "Aye, that's true, sir," said Hellyer; "but "
Bless you, when Dr Hellyer ceased speaking there was a silence that could almost be felt, and we all sneaked out of the room with corresponding quietude adjourning to the playground as if we were going to attend a funeral instead of going out for diversion!
As she told Nell afterwards, she "couldn't have uttered a word to save her life"; and there she remained, "staring at the poor man," to use her own expression, and one that savoured thoroughly of her country, "as if he were a stuck pig!" Hellyer, however, did not remain dumb.
The paradox, however, was made plain to her by Hellyer, who did not seem to trouble himself much about the mishap, remaining seated on the hamper, which he had placed by the after sponsing of the starboard paddle-box.
This Miss Nell took from Hellyer and at once emptied into the teapot, while Bob attended to the kettle and poured the boiling water in; so that Mrs Gilmour was soon provided with the wished-for cup of her favourite beverage. The good lady's equanimity being now restored, she proceeded to question the Captain about the Roman villa at Brading.
The intruder was, in fact, Hellyer, the coastguardsman, whom Rover had seen only so recently as that very morning, when of course master doggie had accompanied Bob to the beach for his bathe; and so, naturally, there was every reason for his receiving Hellyer in a friendly manner.
I wouldn't mind betting a brass farthing I'll find Master Bob there hobnobbing with Hellyer and Dick. He's very fond of going there to listen to my old coxswain's yarns when he has got a chance." "I'll come with you," said Mr Strong, not liking to let him go alone, besides also beginning to feel anxious, adding to his wife "Go in, Edith! you need not be uneasy.
Passing back through the same passages again by which we had descended from the eating-room or "refectory," as Dr Hellyer styled that bare apartment and up a second flight of stairs beyond, Tom leading the way, we finally reached a long chamber which must have stretched along the whole front of the house, immediately above the room devoted to meals.
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