o had insulted him from
the first. He gave Herrick a full share of the pearls, he insisted on
it; Huish opposed him, and he trod the opposition down; and praised
himself exceedingly. He was not going to use vitriol himself; was he
Huish's keeper? It was a pity he had asked, but after all! ... he saw the
boys again in the school procession, with the gowns he had thought to be
so "tony" long since.... And at the same time the incomparable shame of
the last evening blazed up in his mind.

"Have it your own way!" he said hoarsely.

"O, I knew you would walk up," said Huish. "Now for the letter. There's
paper, pens, and ink. Sit down and I'll dictyte."

The captain took a seat and the pen, looked a while helplessly at the
paper, then at Huish. The swing had gone the other way; there was a blur
upon his eyes. "It's a dreadful business," he said, with a strong twitch
of his shoulders.

"It's rather a start, no doubt," said Huish. "Tyke a dip of ink. That's
it. _William John Hattwater, Esq. Sir:_" he dictated.

"How do you know his name is William John?" asked Davis.

"Saw it on a packing-case," said Huish. "Got that?"

"No," said Davis. "But there's another thing. What are we to write?"

"O my golly!" cried the exasperated Huish. "Wot kind of man do _you_
call yourself? _I'm_ goin' to tell you wot to write; that's _my_ pitch;
if you'll just be so bloomin' condescendin' as to write it down!
_William John Attwater, Esq., Sir:_" he reiterated. And, the captain at
last beginning half mechanically to move his pen, the dictation
proceeded: "_It is with feelings of shyme and 'artfelt contrition that I
approach you after the yumiliatin' events of last night. Our Mr. 'Errick
has left the ship, and will have doubtless communicated to you the
nature of our 'opes. Needless to s'y, these are no longer possible: Fate
'as declyred against us, and we bow the 'ead. Well awyre as I am of the
just suspicions with w'ich I am regarded, I do not venture to solicit
the fyvour of an interview for myself, but in order to put an end to a
situytion w'ich must be equally pyneful to all, I 'ave deputed my friend
and partner, Mr. J. L. Huish, to l'y before you my proposals, and w'ich
by their moderytion, will, I trust, be found to merit your attention.
Mr. J. L. Huish is entirely unarmed, I swear to Gawd! and will 'old 'is
'ands over 'is 'ead from the moment he begins to approach you. I am your
fytheful servant, John Dyvis._"

Huish read the lett