She was far too wise to appear to avoid Courtenay. Indeed, she was
studiously agreeable to him when they met. She adopted the safe role
of good-fellowship, flattering herself that her own folly would shrink
to nothingness under the hourly castigation thus inflicted. During
this period, Mr. Boyle's changeable characteristics puzzled and amused
her. As he grew stronger, and took part in the active life of the
ship, so did his sudden excess of talkativeness disappear. Once she
happened to overhear his remarks to a couple of Chileans who were told
to swab off the decks. Obviously, they had scamped their work, and
Boyle expostulated. Then she grasped the essential element in Boyle's
composition. He was capable only of a single idea. When he was chief
officer he ceased to be an ordinary man; the corollary was, of course,
that he ceased to use ordinary language.
She was in her cabin, and dared not come out while the tornado raged.
She did not know that Tollemache was listening, too, until she heard
him ask:
"Did you ever meet any fellow who could swear harder than you, Boyle?"
"Yes, once," was the curt answer.
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