sardonic merriment. I was checked, however, a moment
afterwards, by the sight of my barbarians in the perfect agreement of
babyhood calmly walking away from me along the cliff road. I jumped to
my feet and pursued them.

"At any rate while you're with me," I panted, "you'll observe the
decencies of civilised life."

CHAPTER XIX

"_Arretez! 'Arretez!_" roared Jaffery all of a sudden.

We had just passed the Havre Casino on our way back from Etretat. The
chauffeur pulled up. Jaffery flung open the door, leaped out and
disappeared. In a few seconds we heard his voice reverberating from side
to side of the Boulevard Maritime.

"Hullo! hullo! hullo!"

I raised myself and, looking over the back of the car, saw Jaffery in
characteristic attitude, shaking a strange man by the shoulders and
laughing in delighted welcome. He was a squat, broad, powerful-looking
fellow, with a heavy black beard trimmed to a point, and wearing a
curiously ill-fitting suit of tweeds and a bowler-hat. I noticed that he
carried neither stick nor gloves. The ecstasies of encounter having
subsided, Jaffery dragged him to the car.

"This is my good old friend, Captain Maturin," he shouted, opening the
door. "Mrs. Prescott. Mr. Freeth. Get in. We'll have a drink at
Tortoni's."

Captain Maturin, unconfused by Jaffery's unceremonious whirling, took
off his hat very politely and entered the car in a grave, self-possessed
manner. He had clear, unblinking, grey-green eyes, the colour of a
stormy sea before the dawn. I was for surrendering him my seat next
Liosha, but with a courteous "Pray don't," he quickly established
himself on the small seat facing us, hitherto occupied by Jaffery.
Jaffery jumped up in front next the chauffeur and leaned over the
partition. The car started.

"Captain and I are old shipmates." All Havre must have heard him. "From
Christiania to Odessa, with all the Baltic and Mediterranean ports
thrown in. In the depth of winter. Remember?"

"It was five years ago," said Captain Maturin, twisting his head round.
"We sailed from the port of Leith on the 27th of December."

"And by gosh! Didn't it blow? Gales the whole time, there and back."

"It was as dirty a voyage as ever I made," said Captain Maturin.

"A ripping time, anyhow," said Jaffery.

"Weren't you very seasick?" I asked.

"Ho! ho! ho!" Jaffery roared derisively.

"Mr. Chayne's pretty tough, sir," said the Captain with a grave smile.
"He has missed his