Larpent.

Saltash laughed carelessly, flicking the ash from his cigarette. "I'll
tell you that when I can show you the finished article. I'm keeping him
below for the present. He's got a prize-fighter's eye which is not
exactly an ornament. Like to have a look at him? You're ship's doctor."

Larpent shrugged his shoulders. "P'raps I'd better. I'm not over-keen on
sudden importations. You never know what they may bring aboard with
them."

Saltash's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Better inoculate the whole crew at
once! He's more like a stray spaniel than anything else."

"A King Charles!" suggested Larpent, with the flicker of an eyelid.
"Well, my lord, let's have a look at your latest find!"

They went below, Saltash whistling a careless air. He was usually in high
spirits when not suffering from boredom.

Someone else was whistling in the vicinity of his cabin, but it was not
from the valet's cabin that the cheery sounds proceeded. They found him
in the bathroom with an oily rag, rubbing up the taps.

He desisted immediately at their entrance and stood smartly at attention.
His eye was badly swollen and discoloured, he looked wretchedly ill, but
he managed to smile at Saltash, who took him by the shoulder and made
him face the light.

"What are you doing in here, you--scaramouch? Didn't I tell you to lie
still? Here he is, Larpent! What do you think of him? A poor sort of
specimen, eh?"

"What's his name?" said Larpent.

"Toby Barnes, sir," supplied the boy promptly.

"And there's nothing under the sun he can't do except drive cars," put in
Saltash, "and obey orders."

Toby winced a little. "I'm sorry, sir. Only wanted to be useful, sir.
I'll go back to bed if you say so."

"What do you say, Captain?" said Saltash.

Larpent bent and looked closely at the injured eye. "The sooner the
better," he said after a brief examination. "Stay in bed for a week, and
then I'll look at you again!"

"Oh, not a week!" exclaimed Toby, aghast, and then clapped a hand to his
mouth and was silent.

But his look implored Saltash who laughed and pinched the shoulder under
his hand. "All right. We'll see how you get on. If we meet any weather
you'll probably be only too thankful to stay there."

Toby smiled somewhat woefully, and said nothing.

Larpent stood up. "I'll fetch some stuff to dress it with. Better have it
bandaged. Pretty painful, isn't it?"

"No, sir," lied Toby valiantly. "Don't feel it at all."

But he