'Words spoken in a l'il boat like this be for
anybody's hearin'; and anybody's heard or no, accordin' as they
choose.'
"'Well then,' Grimalson retorted, 'I happen to be boss here aboard,
and I don't choose. So drop you that, prompt, and start baling her.'
"'One moment, Mr. Grimalson--' I began. But he took me up quicker
than he had taken Jarvis.
"'Dear me, now!' he snarled in a foolish sarcastic way. 'And who may
this be that I have the honour of addressing?--Captain Macnaughten's
ghost? or his next-of-kin, belike? Or may be his deputy
understudy?--with your _One moment, please_? . . . You sit down on
that thwart there, and don't you dare open your face again until I
give you leave. . . . That was the old fool's way with _me_--hey?
And now you recognise it.'
"'I do,' said I, pulling out my revolver. 'You may quit fumbling in
your pocket, for it's wringing wet and these cartridges are dry, as I
have assured myself. . . . _You_ sit down on _that_ thwart, and don't
you dare open your face until I give you leave to get up and wash it.
That's _your_ trick of speech, and maybe you recognise it.
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