" Something wrong, sir?" " No." "The foremast is sound enough for an old ship like this." "Glad you could sail and left in a yan." "Pump in good order, Mr Baines?" "Oh, we're only bound for Southampton, sir." "I hope we will have no need for pumping." "There's a nor'wester blowing up." "Have to round Land's End yet." "I've navigated Land's End time enough, Mr Onedin." "As every master said before he lost his ship." "Well, we should be in Falmouth by tomorrow morning, sir." "How long will you and Mr Robert need to be there?" "Oh, we're only going to look at a tugboat for sale there." "I've every confidence in the Charlotte Rose." "Oh, and you, too, Mr Baines." "You know, she'll have to keep up steam all the time if she's to be any use for harbour work." "Robert, think of what it costs in time and money to bring a sailing ship on to a berth when the wind's contrary." "Now with a tug of our own, well, we could..." "We could pick up a ship the moment that she appears in the Mersey." "Well, you've managed very well enough without up till now." "Well, only by hiring a Frazer ship whenever we've needed one." "And at their price." "But with two or three of these, why, the Onedin tug company" " could do work for half the port." " Hold your horses." "Well now, of course, if you're having second thoughts about it," "I could find the money somewhere else." "Now I didn't say that, did I?" "I came here to find out how my money's being spent." " And having a few days' holiday, eh?" " Holiday?" "Hah!" "I came here for a bit of peace and quiet." "With Sarah back home going on and on and on about that new house, it's..." "What's the matter with you, James?" "You've been pricking up your ears at every creak of the ship's timber since we left Liverpool." " Is there summat up with her?" " No." " She's a very sound ship for her age." " Then why are you so anxious?" "I'm not." "Anyway, we only have to go as far as Southampton." "After that..." "After that, the Brazilians take the cargo on to Rio." "Well, why don't you go on with her to Southampton?" "And I'll stay here in Falmouth and look into that tug." "We're going on shore as planned and we'll buy that tug together." "You want to navigate her, Captain Harvey?" "That's what we're out here for." "This here goes down the engine room." "I've sailed on steamers before, Mr Starr, thank you very much." " You take a cup of tea, Mrs Frazer?" " There's a galley?" "Oh, not just a galley, built a proper cabin for meself." "Take a look." " Quite a home from home." " Of course." "I live aboard." "I'll get tea." "You can't serve tea to a lady out of those." "Eh?" "Oh!" "Right!" "I'll get out the good stuff." " Wonder what he wants for her." " 4,000 pounds, he told me." " He'll go lower." " Yes, I'm sure." "She'd be a bargain at 3,500." "Have you had a look at her papers?" "Six years old, built here in Falmouth, been on harbour work ever since." " And the surveyor's report?" " It's a good one." "If you went to 3,800, you wouldn't lose by it." "Perhaps we'll buy her then." "Let's see how she turns." "Can't complain about that." "I was thinking we might stay a few days." "What did you say?" "Well, it would be a change from Liverpool." "Away from everyone we know." "A holiday." "At my expense, of course." " Yes, well, I'd rather it was at mine." " Don't be proud, Matt." " Tea's ready." "Shall I take over, sir?" " Why not?" "Looks like I'm on holiday." "Just checking before I go ashore." "You'll find it's all properly stowed, sir." "If that bell were to shift." "It's all well secured, sir." "All heavy machinery stored aft?" "It's all chalked off securely, sir." "The boat is alongside" " to take you ashore." " Hmm." " Your agent, Mr Logan, will be waiting." " Well, he'll have to wait, won't he?" "Do you know what this cargo's worth?" "10,000 pounds." "That's 500 to me." "The steamer at Southampton doesn't even start loading for a week, sir." " It'll all be there in good time." " Good, good." "No worry then, eh?" " Mr Onedin, sir." " Hmm?" "If there's something I ought to know, you'd be wise not to keep it from me." "Very well, Baines." "I don't know." "Oh!" "Ah!" "There you are at last." "It'll all be settled by next week," " so, meantime, take care." " Take care." "I understand, sir." "I just wish you'd told me before." "Come on then, you." "Let's go and have a look at that tug." "We've seen enough now, Seth." "Take her back." "Nice and steady." "Yeah, we can't have them spilling their tea, can we?" "How did you find her, Captain Harvey?" "She responds well." "Ah, she's a good woman, the Alice." " Why are you selling her?" " Going to South Africa." "Got a brother out there, a prospect." "Gold?" "Oh, yeah, we'll make our fortune." "Or lose what you have." "I'll lose not with the Alice." "With the Falmouth tug company here, there's not much business for one man." "I'll give you 5,000 pounds for this tug, Mr Starr." " What'd you say?" " 5,000." "Elizabeth." "Subject only to satisfactory performance at sea, of course." "That means extensive trials at sea." " But she's a harbour tug." " Yes, well, I have other ideas for her." "I want to turn her into a passenger-carrying ferry steamer." "Mr Harvey agrees it's possible." " Don't you?" " I..." "You need a border trade certificate for that." "And I'm not sure if she has enough power." "Well, that's what we'll find out." "Take her out to sea for the rest of day and tomorrow, too, perhaps." "Well, Mr Starr?" "5,000?" "Only if she meets our requirements at sea." " She'll do that, no mistake." " Then you accept?" "I accept." "I need to take on more coal." "I'll tell Seth." " Elizabeth!" " The Charlotte Rose is here." "And I have just seen James and Robert walking along the quayside." "Falmouth is a busy port." "They could be here for any number of reasons." "Oh, no." "Not brother James." "I know him too well." "Excuse me, did you say you were from Liverpool?" "Aye, the Onedin Line." "We're interested in this tug, the Alice." "Must be a shortage of tugs up north." "There's been another couple from Liverpool down here." "Oh?" " Who?" "Give me an hour to take on coal, ma'am, and a little over to get back here." " 2:00?" " Make it 3:00, will you?" "James!" "What a surprise." "Ah, isn't it?" "I know it's a small world, but I didn't know it was this small." "Are you the master of the tug, Alice?" " I'm the owner." "Dan Starr." " A-ha." "Me brothers." "Mr Robert Onedin and James here who owns the Onedin Line." "I'm afraid you're a little late though, James." "Frazer's have decided to buy the Alice." " So, you got your holiday then, Robert?" " No." "Yes, I am enjoying it." "Mind if I look her over?" "I'm not going to turn down 5,000 pounds, Mr Onedin." "5,000 for a tug?" "I'd still like to look her over, if you don't mind." "Come on, you two." "Who wants his dinner, come and get it!" " Come in." "We could do with more wind, Captain." "We're barely making four knots." "You know, I used to catch lobsters off that shore when I was a lad." "I didn't know you was a Cornishman, Captain." "Cornish?" "Not me, I'm from Barnstaple, Devon." "But I used to have an uncle down this way." "A fisherman at Mevagissey." "They used to pack me off to him in the summer." "Sent me on my way in a coach with a chunk of bread and a sausage, all wrapped up in a kerchief." "You know, it's funny the things that stick in your mind." "You're right there, Captain." "Uncle Tobias." "He used to take me out on his boat at night and we'd sit there for hours and barely a word would he ever utter." "Some things you remember all your life." "It's your favourite, Captain." "Sea pie." "Just the very thing I feel like." "We've run aground, sir." "Bosun, take sounding four and a half to port and starboard." " Aye, aye, sir." " Mr Potts, you come with me." " Get the chart, Mr Potts." " Aye, aye, Captain." "I've checked our position and we should be clearing 10 fathoms at least in these waters." "No rocks, no sand banks, no shingles." "No wreck on the chart either." " We're stuck on something for'ard, sir." " What are your soundings?" "10 and a half fathoms all around, except for'ard on the port bow, where we heard the crunch." " Then it must be a wreck." " But there is no wreck marked." " Then it must be an uncharted wreck." " An uncharted..." "Take the hatch covers off, lift everything out, for'ard and take it aft and maybe the bows will come up." " Go on, quick as you can." " Aye, aye, sir." " What's the tide there?" " Ebbing, didn't you notice?" "That means whatever we're stuck on..." "We shall just settle further and further on to it." "It's cider." "You know, that tug isn't worth more than 3,500 to my mind." "More than that, I think." "James, you'll not play ducks and drakes with my money just because our Elizabeth's after it." "You know what you and she are like when you're in the ring together?" " Oh!" "If anyone wants me, I'll be out with the Alice." " Not back before night." " Not till tonight?" "Where have you taken Mrs Frazer?" "India?" "If she's a mind to." "She's the customer." "You'll still be here tomorrow?" "We're going to Bristol at 5:30." "Well, you did ought to find a tug or two for sale at Bristol." "Ah, for a lot less than 5,000." "If that's Mrs Frazer's offer, it'd be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth, isn't it?" "Well, if I were you, I'd look this one down the gullet and be back by 5:00." "Can't promise that." "Well, surely two hours is long enough time to put a tug through its paces." "If Mrs Frazer wants longer..." "Then when you get back, we shall be gone." "Mrs Frazer'll have the field to herself, which is just what she's after." " Have you had a lot of other offers?" " What would yours be, Mr Onedin?" " 3,800 pounds." " Not a penny more." "And no conditions, no messing about at sea." "Cash on the nail today." "But if your sister's offering near half as much again..." "Just remember we'll be gone by 5:00." " She's come up about a foot, Captain." " Well, that ought to have cleared it." "Unless what's holding her is coming up with her." "We can't take any more aft." "We're almost awash there as it is." "What can we do, Captain?" "Well, we'll try hauling her off." "The tide's still going down and taking more of our hull on to the wreck every minute." "So run the kedge out aft, and stand by to man the winch, Mr Potts." "Aye, aye, sir." "Captain, have you seen this?" " Where is that flour stowed?" " Aft, sir." "Well, it's ruined by now." "I want it all up on deck and then jettisoned." "Aye, aye, Captain." "Are they getting those sacks of flour out?" "They're doing their best, sir." " Well, chase them up, Mr Potts." " Aye, aye, sir." "Come on, get those bags shifted." "Get a move on, faster!" " All right, all right." " All right." "Would you look at that?" "That'll do it." "Let her go." "Aye, aye, sir." "Man the winch." "Come on, you landlubbers." "Come on." " Heave!" " Come on." "Heave!" "She's coming." "Come on, lads." "Put your backs into it, lads." "Heave!" "No, it's the anchor that's coming." "We're dragging her off the seabed." "No, no, she's bending in!" "Come on!" "Put your backs into it!" "Stop!" "We'll reach our bottom out in a minute." "Come and get that flour out." "Come along, Mr Potts." "I want a word with you." "Must be rowed ashore." "There's not a house to be seen out there." "It's pretty rough country." "Probably have to foot it along the coast of Mevagissey." "It's only a little fishing port." "How can they help?" "Well, at least you may find a telegraph office there." "Aye, aye, sir." "It's time we informed Mr Onedin." "The Oberon's loaded with petroleum, but there's a better market for that in London, so send her on there, will you, Mr Logan?" "She'll have to call here for orders anyway." "When did she leave, um, Philadelphia?" " On the 4th." "Could be here any day." " Mmm-hmm." "Excuse me, thank you." " Ah, James." " Ah!" "You like a drink, Mr Robert?" "Thank you, no, Mr Logan." "James, I've been to the railway station." "We take a train for Exeter first, where we have to make a connection for a train for Bristol in the morning." "Oh, we shall still be here in the morning." " But you told Mr Starr..." " That was for Elizabeth's benefit." "Look, once she thinks we've gone, no point in her hanging about at sea, is there?" "She'll be back by 6:00." "Price will be down to three and a half thousand." "I know our sister like the back of me hand." "Seen enough to turn for home now, Mrs Frazer?" " I'd like to be back by 5:00." " We've not learned much about her yet." "Well, we've been at sea for more than an hour." " But it's all so calm." "I can't drum up a gale for you, ma'am." "Nevertheless, I ought to see how she behaves in one." " Perhaps if we went further out?" " It's a duck pond wherever you go." "Mr Starr wants to take us back." " We were expecting longer than this." " Extensive trials." "There's nowt else I can make her do for you." "Well, I don't think I've seen enough to justify 5,000 pounds." "Is your business at 5:00 so pressing, Mr Starr?" "Your brother's offered me 3,800 pounds." "Cash on the nail." "Ah!" "And you're afraid he might've left by the time we get back?" "He's taking the train at 5:30." "Very well." "Take us back." "Mr Harvey and I will have to consider again, of course." "And if we do feel she's not been tested to the full, we may withdraw altogether." "I wonder if my brother will still offer 3,800 when he learns the Frazer's aren't interested any more." "We've jettisoned as much flour as we can, sir." "But there's sacks of it we just can't reach." "How much water in there?" "Only a foot or two and right in the stern." "We're pumping whenever it's needful." "We can't be in holed that bad." "High tide should lift us off." "Hah!" "With luck." "Not with luck." "Luck's never been too kind to me." "But she can't take any more aft, sir." "She's low enough there as it is." "Then we'll take everything off the ship altogether." "Bring up the long boat." "We'll run everything ashore we can." "But the boat'd sink under one of them crates." "Then we'll open them up." "There's 10 dozen clocks in one." "We can look after those in the boat." "Kitchen sinks in another, cast iron grates, pictures of..." " There's even cannon balls in one." " Aye, aye, Captain." "We've got six hours, Bosun." "No more." " Well, there's always another tide, sir." " Won't be so high tomorrow." "Neap tides are setting in, each one lower than the last." "If she don't float off tonight, she never will." "Aye, aye, Captain." "Inshore there." "Can you see?" "Yeah, I've got her." "That's a funny place to anchor." "All right, bring her around." "We'll take a closer look." "Hey, look, it's a steamer." "Bosun, it's a steamer." " Where's the Captain?" " Below." "Sir, there's a steamer." "It's not too far off and it looks like a tug." "Hmm." "A tug, eh?" "Well, shall I signal, sir?" "BDJ, that's all." "But you only asked for 4,000." "So, you've not done badly if we settle at 3,850." " We're down to that?" " It's what she is worth." "There's a schooner in trouble close into the shore, she's signalling." " What?" " BDJ, I'm aground." "Right." " I thought you were anxious to get back." " That schooner needs a tow." "Oh, really!" " I should've stayed in the galley." " Come on, Ernie, get on with it." " What's the time?" " Just gone five bells, sir." "There's plenty of time to make room for that big church bell here" " before high water." " But with that tug on the way, sir?" "Oh, we're not in need of assistance of any tug." "What's in there, Ernie?" "Some sort of steam engine, Captain." "We'll never get that out." "If that tug gives us a tow, sir..." "Oh, she'll name a price." "They always do." "Her insurance pays that, sir, if it saves the cargo." "Not if we can save it ourselves and we can." "Now, try and dismantle it, Ernie." "That big flywheel should come off at least." "Don't talk to me about insurance." "Because there is none." "Mr Onedin let it lapse." "Not insured?" "You let Captain Baines put out to sea in a ship that is not insured?" "Well, I didn't intend to." "Sailing was delayed." "It ran out the day we left Liverpool." "All the same, that insurance should've been renewed." "It's not as easy as you think." "Look, Charlotte Rose is well over 10 years old now, so her A1 classification expired." "They won't renew it unless I have a major refit." "Even then, the premiums will be nearly double." " Well, she doesn't have to be A1." " Ooh, we can't get first class freights if she's not." "Anyway, I told Baines I'd sort it all out when I get back to Liverpool." "Where are you off to now then?" "See where that tug's got to." "It's after 6:00." "Should be here any time now." "It's the Charlotte Rose." "So I see." "Get nearer to her." "She's moving in." "Ahoy there!" "Shall we tow you off, Captain?" "What's your price?" "What?" "How much will it cost?" "I've half a mind to say 1,200 pounds." "What's it worth to you, Captain?" "Ten pounds." "What'd he say?" "10 pounds, I think." "You don't mean that." "We'll tow you out for 300." "Do you hear?" "300 pounds!" "The tide's coming in!" "The sea will do it for nothing!" "He's gone below." "He has his pride." "Well, he could be right." "High tide should float her off." "We'll stand off, just in case." "What would you say, Mr Starr, to 4,500?" " Oh, yes, I'm sure." " I mean it." "And I thought you meant 5,000." "Look, I've nothing to gain this time by going back on me word later." "If you don't trust me, let me give you a bill of hand for the money now." "For 4,500 pounds." "That is my offer." "Elizabeth, you don't have to pay that much." "That is my decision." " Well, Mr Starr?" " We'll see how you feel tomorrow." " I may feel very differently tomorrow." " Yes, happen you might." "Well then, accept it now, while you have the chance." "A bill of hand, payable in cash through my Falmouth agents." "And a receipt from you, transferring the Alice to my ownership now." "Well, think what a weight off your mind it would be." "Why the hurry?" "Why the delay?" "I'm a very capricious person, Mr Starr." " And if Mr Harvey is going to spend..." " I certainly..." " Trying to dissuade me, as I can see." " All right, all right, Mrs Frazer." "You make out a bill of hand for 4,500 pounds." "The Alice is yours from then on." "You'll not regret it." "I only hope you won't." "Good evening." "Could I have a Jamaican White?" "And a pint of that, what is it?" " Scrumpy?" " Scrumpy, fine, thank you." "You know, James, it's nearly 7:00 now." "Perhaps our Elizabeth really did take that tug out to sea." "I mean, perhaps she really did mean 5,000 pounds." " Well, then, more fool her." " Oh!" "Well, otherwise, she'd have been back by now." "Yeah." "Unless Starr didn't tell her" " we were leaving at 5:00." " Ah!" " Now that could make sense." " Aye!" "There you are, sir." "I've been all over looking for you." "Telegram, sir." "I find it quite charming." "Most unusual." "Thank you." "It's the Charlotte Rose." "She's aground." " What?" " Off Mevigessey." "Stuck on a wreck." "Why are you so concerned about her now, Mrs Frazer?" "With this wind getting up, she could really be in danger." "Oh, I doubt it'll come to much." "Not till past midnight anyway." "The tide will have got her off by then." "Nevertheless, I think it's only friendly to cruise around for a while." "Just in case." "Whatever you say, Mrs Frazer." "You're the owner now." "Yes." " Standby to hoist." " Let her in." "Enough with that bell, Captain, if we can find a way to shift it." "How much water back there?" "Not too badly." "The pump's doing a good job." "It is a bit different out far." "That'll be the weight of that bell, sir." "Yeah, but it's still much heavier aft." "Hey, haul away." "Hey, if the water in the bilges is running for..." "It means, unloaded as she is, her stern's coming up on the tide, but not her bows." "She's jammed fast, not coming up at all." "It's not a question of waiting for high tide." "Her bows will be awash in an hour and a half." "If we could just get that bellaft." "No amount of lightening her makes any difference." "Who's the best swimmer?" " Swimmer?" " Aye." "That will be me, sir." "Good." "Then, perhaps, you can get underneath her." "I mean, try and see what's holding her." "If we can prise it apart for a moment, her bows will shoot up like a bubble." "Oh, damn it." "I can't sit here all day doing nothing." "Mr Logan?" "Charter me a tug, steamer, anything, so long as it's fast." "Have you any idea how much that'll cost?" " I'm not interested." " Well, it won't be cheap, you know." "Robert, you just don't understand." "Bosun!" " What's up?" " It's clogged up!" "Pump's choked." "I'll tell the Captain." "Choked?" "What do you mean, "choked?"" "It's all that flour being sucked in." "Even if they clear it..." "How much water are we taking in?" " It's too early to say yet, sir." " Then there's the wind, sir." "It's coming round to the southwest." "It's gonna whip up the waves, and the way we're lying, we'll be taking them all broadside." "Yeah, perhaps, that'll sweep us off the wreck." "They'll break us up, sir." "You think I don't know that?" "Get underneath with Mr Potts." " See what you can do." " I'll do my very best." " Is that tug still out there?" " Yes, sir." " Send up a rocket, Bosun." " Aye, aye, Captain." "That's it." "Distress signal from the Charlotte Rose." "All right, we'll make for her now." "Have you the Lloyd Salvage phones aboard?" "We shan't need those." "Have you negotiated one of these before, Matt?" "If there's any negotiating to be done, Mrs Frazer..." " Mr Harvey will do it." " I will." "No, Mr Starr." "Mr Harvey will, on my behalf, as owner of this tug." "Ask for 2,000 pounds." "The Salvage Courts will uphold that." "Not for 20 minutes." "I've been waiting here for over an hour." "We had to take on coal." "Coal." "Oh, yeah." "Of course." "Yes." "You'd think in a port the size of Falmouth, there'd at least be one tug ready for sea that we could hire without delay." " No, there's still no sign of the Alice." " Oh, shut up." "Perhaps she's gone to the rescue of the Charlotte Rose." "Well, if she sailed up the coast, it's possible." "Your luck could be in." "Luck?" "Okay." "It'll take us at least three hours to get there." "And with this wind turning into a gale..." "I'll be just in time to pick up the pieces." "The Captain says to tell you to try again, Mr Potts." "That tug could take us off." "They're claiming insurance and the master's not prepared for that yet." "He's gonna lose her altogether if he's not careful." "Look, your bows are almost underwater already." " The ship is not insured." " What?" "Any claim you make will fall directly on Mr Onedin." "You asked for assistance, Captain." "Yeah." "Well, then, throw a line astern for a reasonable recompense." "Not 2,000 pounds." "You've been on that wreck for hours." "To try and tow her off now would just tear her to pieces." "I know the risk." "Don't teach me, boy." "It's up to the Salvage to decide how to do it." " We're not a case for Salvage yet." " But you barely got half an hour." "Right, we'll batten down the hatches before the sea comes over us." " All this, just to save 2,200 pounds?" " 2,000 pounds, you said." "If we fail to salve her, we get nothing." "That's the essence of the Lloyd's contract." "No cure, no pay." "And since the longer you leave it, the harder the job, my..." "My price will go up accordingly." "Now, it's 2,200 if you sign now." "Well, it isn't easy to lay out someone else's money." "Look, not all of it is going to fall on Onedin." "The insurers of the cargo will pay for most." "Not when they find out that he's been taking to sea in an uninsured ship." "Mr Onedin will have to pay the lot." "Well, he's going to have to pay a great deal more if he loses half of his cargo, as well as his ship." "I think we've found it, sir." "It's the old wreck's mast." "Stuck in her hull at an angle of 45 degrees. 15 foot from the bow." "15 foot from the bow?" "That means it's come up underneath the hold." "And there's one place in there we haven't looked." "So whatever it is, it's come up under the bell." "Or in the bilges underneath." "It's holding us like a skewer in a joint of meat." " Are you ready down there?" " Hoist her up." " Well, that won't take it." " Hoist it." "All right, there it is." "Now, hold it there, Clem." "Now, leave it, leave it, leave it." "It's like a cork in a bottle." "If you move that, we may go down in minutes." "Well, if we can't take it out, what can we do?" "Rightly speaking, we should cut it off underneath." "But to hold your breath under the hull" " long enough to saw through..." " Yeah." "The only way we can do that is to build some kind of diving..." "Diving bell." "You're mad." "If you wanna know what I think, I think you're mad." "Turn a glass upside down in the water and the air stays inside if you lower it square." "There'll be enough air in that bell for me to breathe while I saw through the mast." " The sea will knock him off that." " Not if he sits astride." "Well, can't you make it more stable then?" "There isn't time." "I'm gonna tie this rope inside to the clapper." "That way, both hands will be free for the saw." "If the air gets foul or the water comes up inside the bell, you'll have no way to signal the surface." "I just know that Mr Onedin would not pay salvage if there was another way out." "Certainly not 2,200 to Frazer's." "Well, he's not going to like it if he loses his ship and you." "He's not gonna like it if he loses the ship." "He hasn't got much room in there, you know." "He's twice your size." "Hand us that saw." "He hasn't got much air either." "I'll have more than him." "I think you'd better lower me down over that mast." "You're not going." "I'm the ship's carpenter, not the master." "All right, lower me down." "Right, lads." "Swing her over." "All right, lower away." "What do you think you're doing?" "Who is that?" "Ship's carpenter, sir." "More to the right, lads." " Bring that man back." " Gently, now." "Why did you let him do it?" "If anything should happen, sir, well..." "There's plenty of other good carpenters around." "I can hear him sawing." "I can hear him." "You wouldn't have lost a life my way." "Just money." "He's just having a rest, that's all." "Well, he must need it." "Sawing underwater." "Get him up!" "We must get him up!" "Wait!" "Right, get him up." "Are you all right, Ernie?" "I'm all better, Captain." "I'll have your supper going in ten minutes." "Mr Potts, half the cargo's ashore." "Now I want it all back on board and properly stowed." "And look lively!" "Aye, aye, sir." "Thank you very much for your kind offer of help, but I think it's about time you returned to your tug, don't you?" "Perhaps we should stay for the weekend." " Give you time to cool down." " I think not." "Do you know, Mr Logan," "I'm quite beginning to like this." "What do they call it?" " Scrumpy, sir." " Scrumpy, right." "In fact, I like this place altogether." "It's rough and ready." "No..." "No pretensions, if you understand what I mean." " Yes, I do." " Yeah, you see," "I can't be seen in a place like this," " back home in Liverpool, you see." " Ah!" "Because my wife..." "My wife..." "She'll have a fit of the vapours, you know?" " If she found me in a place like this." "Oh, talking of your wife, sir, don't you think you ought to reply to this telegram?" ""Must have answer regarding" ""house immediately."" "See, it's demands from her, Mr Logan, demands..." "The telegraph office will be closing soon, sir." "Then let it." "Are you married, Mr Logan?" "I'm a widower." "How I wish that I was." "Well, no, that's..." "That is unkind." "But, you see..." "You see, I'm put upon, Mr Logan." "Put upon, if you understand what I mean." "And I came down here to..." "To think things over." "You see, I've only been in Falmouth one day, mark you, one day, and I've already had..." "I've had two telegrams from her about this..." "This house, you see?" "Well, I've come to the conclusion that the only place for peace and quiet is the grave." "That's what my father..." "Captain Harvey!" " Good evening, gentlemen." " Come, sit down." "You haven't, by any chance, on your travels, your perambulations, seen my brother?" "Uh..." "We met him on his way" " to the Charlotte Rose." " Smoke?" "But he needn't have worried, she's safe." "Thank goodness for that." "I'm..." "I'm glad." "Because you see, Captain Harvey, Mr Logan, the Charlotte Rose was the first ship that my brother and I ever owned." "It's true, you see." "Would you care for some refreshment?" "Thank you very much." "I would love one." "Rum for the captain, Mr Logan!" " I've got a message for you, sir." " Yes?" " From your sister." " Oh!" "She's taking the first train back to Liverpool and she wonders if you'd care to accompany her." "No, no, Mr Harvey." "No, I prefer to wait here until my brother returns." " I'll tell her, sir." " Thank you very much." " Do you know what that means, sir?" " Well, of course!" "It means that you are a captain!" "Wrong, sir." "It means that I am a messenger boy." "Aren't we all?" "Aren't we all messenger boys?" "Why, she's been playing you up then." " In every sense, sir." " Well, that's women the world over." "That's not true, Mr Onedin, and I've travelled the world." " But they're not all like that." " Here we are, gentlemen." "Well, I've yet to find one that's different." "I only wish to God I could." " So, I'll tell her thank you, but no." " Right!" "Right." "I imagine that she thought you'd want to get back to Liverpool quickly to prepare for the election." "Election?" "What are you talking about?" "It was on the placards when we landed." "Mr Disraeli has announced the general election." "Oh, heaven!" "Well, we've got the pumps working again." "And if we could limp into Plymouth, we can get the end of the mast out and pack her up." "Now, have we got the flywheel on that steam engine back?" "Yes, sir, no harm done." " Ten dozen clocks, it says here." " All back on board, sir." "Are they still working?" " Shall I get a man to wind them up, sir?" " Hmm." "Now, those pianos." "Damp doesn't do them much good." "Well, I'm not a piano player myself, sir." "Lot of crates to replace." "Well, the re-crating can take place, sir, when we get back to Southampton." "Oh, yes, at whose expense?" "No, we'll do it onboard." "Part of Ernie's duties as ship's carpenter." "We have all that timber and damage to pay for, quite apart from the flour that you chucked overboard." "Yes, sir." " Come in." "Your breakfast, Captain." "Not for me." "I'm going on deck." "Uh..." "What's that?" "Sea pie." "The captain's very fond of it." "Oh, so am I." "Do you get paid extra for being ship's cook?" " No, I don't." " Oh, well." "We'll have to look into that when you get paid off, eh?" "A man ought to be properly rewarded for any work he does beyond the call of duty." "Thank you, Mr Onedin." "Mmm." "Very good, this is." "Oh, my!" "Best sea pie I've tasted for years!"