“Hooray!” he exploded.

“’Bias!” Cai stared, as well he might, for his friend’s face was totally impassive.

“Hoo—­” began ’Bias again.  “Who the devil’s this?” he demanded, as the door opened and Tabb’s child appeared in the entry.

“I been expectin’ you this hour an’ more,” announced Tabb’s child.  “Stoppin’ for drinks on the road, I reckon?”

“We did take a drink, now you mention it,” stammered Captain Cai, caught aback:  “though, as it happens that don’t account for our bein’ late.  But what brings you, here, missy?”

She laid a finger on her lip.  “Sh!  I’ve got ’em.”

“Got what?”

“Servants for ’ee.  They’re inside.”  She pointed back in to the passage mysteriously.

“Who’s this child?” demanded Captain ’Bias.

“She’s—­er—­a young friend o’ mine—­” began Captain Cai.  But Fancy interrupted him, dropping a slight curtsey, and addressing his friend straight.

“My name’s Fancy Tabb, sir.  Which I hope you’ll like Troy, and Cap’n Hocken ast me to make myself useful an’ find you a pair of servants—­ woman an’ boy.”

“Oh, but hold hard!” protested Captain Cai.  “We haven’t started furnishin’ yet.”

She nodded.  “That’s all right.  No hurry with either of ’em—­not for some weeks, or so long as it suits you.  But you’ll be safer to bespeak ‘em:  an’ Mrs Bowldler is the chance of a lifetime.”

She led the way through to the unfurnished and somewhat dingy kitchen.  It had a low window-seat, from the extreme ends of which, as the two skippers entered, two figures—­a middle-aged woman and a gawky lad—­ arose and saluted them; the one with a highly genteel curtsey, the other with an awkward half-pull at his forelock, and much scraping with his feet.

“This is Mrs Bowldler,” Fancy nodded towards the middle-aged woman.

“Your servant, sirs,” Mrs Bowldler curtseyed again and coughed.  “With a W if you don’t object.”

“She’s quite a good plain cook; and well connected, though reduced in circumstances.  Mr Rogers, sir, is often glad to employ her at a pinch.”

“At a what?” asked Captain Tobias, breathing hard.

“Which,” said Mrs Bowldler with a trembling cough, “the bare thought of taking service again with two strange gentlemen in my state of health is a nordeal, and as such I put it to you.”  Here she smoothed the front of her gown and turned upon Tobias with unexpected spirit.  “You can say to me what you like, sir, and you can do to me what you like, but if you’d been laying awake all night with geese walking over your grave, I’d put myself in your place and say, ’Well, if he don’t spit blood ’tis a mercy!’”

“Plain cookin’, did you say?” asked Captain Tobias, turning stonily upon the girl.

“And knick-knacks.  You mustn’t mind her talk, sir; she was brought up to better things and ’tis only her tricks. . . .  Now the boy here—­his name’s Pam, which is short for Palmerston:  and I can’t conscientiously say more for him, except that he’s willin’ and tells me he can carry coals.”