Admiral Peters, Page 2

of course 'e don't want it known who he is. I couldn't refuse to'ave a drink with 'im. I was under orders, so to speak."

  "No, I suppose not," said Mrs. Dutton, softening. "Fancy him stayingwith you!"

  "He just run down for the night, but I expect he'll be going 'ome in anhour or two," said Mr. Burton, who saw an excellent reason now forhastening his guest's departure.

  Mrs. Dutton's face fell. "Dear me," she murmured, "I should have likedto have seen him; you have told me so much about him. If he doesn't goquite so soon, and you would like to bring him here when you cometo-night, I'm sure I should be very pleased."

  "I'll mention it to 'im," said Mr. Burton, marvelling at the change inher manner.

  "Didn't you say once that he was uncle to Lord Buckfast?" inquired Mrs.Dutton, casually.

  "Yes," said Mr. Burton, with unnecessary doggedness; "I did."

  "The idea of an admiral staying with you!" said Mrs. Dutton.

  "Reg'lar old sea-dog," said Mr. Burton again; "and, besides, he don'twant it known. It's a secret between us three, Mrs. Dutton."

  "To be sure," said the widow. "You can tell the admiral that I shall notmention it to a soul," she added, mincingly.

  Mr. Burton thanked her and withdrew, lest Mr. Stiles should follow him upbefore apprised of his sudden promotion. He found that gentleman,however, still sitting at the front door, smoking serenely.

  "I'll stay with you for a week or two," said Mr. Stiles, briskly, as soonas the other had told his story. "It'll do you a world o' good to beseen on friendly terms with an admiral, and I'll put in a good word foryou."

  Mr. Burton shook his head. "No, she might find out," he said, slowly."I think that the best thing is for you to go home after dinner, Joe, andjust give 'er a look in on the way, p'r'aps. You could say a lot o'things about me in 'arf an hour."

  "No, George," said Mr. Stiles, beaming on him kindly; "when I put my handto the plough I don't draw back. It's a good speaking part, too, anadmiral's. I wonder whether I might use old Peters's language."

  "Certainly not," said Mr. Burton, in alarm.

  "You don't know how particular she is."

  Mr. Stiles sighed, and said that he would do the best he could withoutit. He spent most of the day on the beach smoking, and when evening cameshaved himself with extreme care and brushed his serge suit with greatperseverance in preparation for his visit.

  Mr. Burton performed the ceremony of introduction with some awkwardness;Mr. Stiles was affecting a stateliness of manner which was not withoutdistinction; and Mrs. Dutton, in a black silk dress and the cameo broochwhich had belonged to her mother, was no less important. Mr. Burton hadan odd feeling of inferiority.

  "Mr. Stiles was affecting a stateliness of manner whichwas not without distinction."]

  "It's a very small place to ask you to, Admiral Peters," said the widow,offering him a chair.

  "It's comfortable, ma'am," said Mr. Stiles, looking round approvingly."Ah, you should see some of the palaces I've been in abroad; all show andno comfort. Not a decent chair in the place. And, as for theantimacassars----"

  "Are you making a long stay, Admiral Peters?" inquired the delightedwidow.

  "It depends," was the reply. "My intention was just to pay a flyingvisit to my honest old friend Burton here--best man in my squadron--buthe is so hospitable, he's been pressing me to stay for a few weeks."

  "But the admiral says he must get back to-morrow morning," interposed Mr.Burton, firmly.

  "Unless I have a letter at breakfast-time, Burton," said Mr. Stiles,serenely.

  Mr. Burton favoured him with a mutinous scowl.

  "Oh, I do hope you will," said Mrs. Dutton.

  "I have a feeling that I shall," said Mr. Stiles, crossing glances withhis friend. "The only thing is my people; they want me to join them atLord Tufton's place."

  Mrs. Dutton trembled with delight at being in the company of a man withsuch friends. "What a change shore-life must be to you after the perilsof the sea!" she murmured.

  "Ah!" said Mr. Stiles. "True! True!"

  "The dreadful fighting," said Mrs. Dutton, closing her eyes andshuddering.

  "You get used to it," said the hero, simply. "Hottest time I had I thinkwas at the bombardment of Alexandria. I stood alone. All the men whohadn't been shot down had fled, and the shells were bursting round melike--like fireworks."

  The widow clasped her hands and shuddered again.

  "I was standing just behind 'im, waiting any orders he might give," saidMr. Burton.

  "Were you?" said Mr. Stiles, sharply--"were you? I don't remember it,Burton."

  "Why," said Mr. Burton, with a faint laugh, "I was just behind you, sir.If you remember, sir, I said to you that it was pretty hot work."

  Mr. Stiles affected to consider. "No, Burton," he said, bluffly--"no; sofar as my memory goes I was the only man there."

  "A bit of a shell knocked my cap off, sir," persisted Mr. Burton, makinglaudable efforts to keep his temper.

  "That'll do, my man," said the other, sharply; "not another word. Youforget yourself."

  He turned to the widow and began to chat about "his people" again todivert her attention from Mr. Burton, who seemed likely to causeunpleasantness by either bursting a blood-vessel or falling into a fit.

  "My people have heard of Burton," he said, with a slight glance to seehow that injured gentleman was progressing. "He has often shared mydangers. We have been in many tight places together. Do you rememberthose two nights when we were hidden in the chimney at the palace of theSultan of Zanzibar, Burton?"

  "I should think I do," said Mr. Burton, recovering somewhat.

  "Stuck so tight we could hardly breathe," continued the other.

  "I shall never forget it as long as I live," said Mr. Burton, who thoughtthat the other was trying to make amends for his recent indiscretion.

  "Oh, do tell me about it, Admiral Peters," cried Mrs. Dutton.

  "Surely Burton has told you that?" said Mr. Stiles.

  "Never breathed a word of it," said the widow, gazing somewhatreproachfully at the discomfited Mr. Burton.

  "Well, tell it now, Burton," said Mr. Stiles.

  "You tell it better than I do, sir," said the other.

  "No, no," said Mr. Stiles, whose powers of invention were not always tobe relied upon. "You tell it; it's your story."

  The widow looked from one to the other. "It's your story, sir," said Mr.Burton.

  "No, I won't tell it," said Mr. Stiles. "It wouldn't be fair to you,Burton. I'd forgotten that when I spoke. Of course, you were young atthe time, still----"

  "I done nothing that I'm ashamed of, sir," said Mr. Burton, tremblingwith passion.

  "I think it's very hard if I'm not to hear it," said Mrs. Dutton, withher most fascinating air.

  Mr. Stiles gave her a significant glance, and screwing up his lips noddedin the direction of Mr. Burton.

  "At any rate, you were in the chimney with me, sir," said thatunfortunate.

  "Ah!" said the other, severely. "But what was I there for, my man?"

  Mr. Burton could not tell him; he could only stare at him in a frenzy ofpassion and dismay.

  "What were you there for, Admiral Peters?" inquired Mrs. Dutton.

  "I was there, ma'am," said the unspeakable Mr. Stiles, slowly--"I wasthere to save the life of Burton. I never deserted my men---never.Whatever scrapes they got into I always did my best to get them out.News was brought to me that Burton was suffocating in the chimney of theSultan's favourite wife, and I----"

  "Sultan's favourite wife!" gasped Mrs. Dutton, staring hard at Mr.Burton, who had collapsed in his chair and was regarding the ingeniousMr. Stiles with open-mouthed stupefaction. "Good gracious! I--I neverheard of such a thing. I am surprised!"

  "So am I," said Mr. Burton, thickly. "I--I---"

  "How did you escape, Admiral Peters?" inquired the widow, turning fromthe flighty Burton in indignation.

  Mr. Stiles shook his head. "To tell you that
would be to bring theFrench Consul into it," he said, gently. "I oughtn't to have mentionedthe subject at all. Burton had the good sense not to."

  The widow murmured acquiescence, and stole a look at the prosaic figureof the latter gentleman which was full of scornful curiosity.