Neither Miss Skeat nor Claudius had noticed Mr. Barker, who was ensconced on a corner transom, with his nails and a book to amuse himself with.  He saw the whole thing:  how the Doctor put his white face and dripping beard through the curtains, and suddenly withdrew it at the mention of his name, and how Miss Skeat held her peace about having seen it too.  He reflected that something had happened, that Miss Skeat knew all about it, and that she was a discreet woman.  He wondered what it could be.  Claudius would not look like that unless something were wrong, he thought, and he would certainly come back in five minutes if everything were right.  He had not seen him at breakfast.  He took out his watch softly and let it drop on his book, face upwards.  Meanwhile he talked to the two ladies about the weather, and listened to Miss Skeat’s rapturous account of the spray and the general slipperiness of the upper regions.  When five minutes were elapsed he put his watch back and said he thought he would try it himself, as he fancied the fresh air would do him good.  So he departed, and obtained a pair of sea-boots and an oilskin, which he contemplated with disgust, and put on with resolution.  He wanted to find the Duke, and he wanted to see Claudius; but he wanted them separately.

Mr. Barker cautiously put his head out of the cuddy door and espied the Duke and his sister.  This was not exactly what he wanted, and he would have retired, but at that moment Lady Victoria caught sight of him, and immediately called out to him not to be afraid, as it was much smoother now.  But Mr. Barker’s caution had proceeded from other causes, and being detected, he put a bold face on it, stepped on the deck and slammed the door behind him.  Lady Victoria was somewhat surprised to see him tread the slippery deck with perfect confidence and ease, for she thought he was something of a “duffer.”  But Barker knew how to do most things more or less, and he managed to bow and take off his sou’wester with considerable grace in spite of the rolling.  Having obtained permission to smoke, he lighted a cigar, crooked one booted leg through the iron rail, and seated himself on the bulwark, where, as the steamer lurched, he seemed to be in a rather precarious position.  But there was a sort of cat-like agility in his wiry frame, that bespoke unlimited powers of balancing and holding on.

“I thought there were more of you,” he began, addressing Lady Victoria.  “You seem to be having quite a nice time here.”

“Yes.”

“I wish I had come up sooner; the atmosphere downstairs is very oppressive.”

“I thought you had neuralgia,” said Lady Victoria.

“So I had.  But that kind of neuralgia comes and goes very suddenly.  Where is the giant of the North?”

“Dr. Claudius?  He went down with Miss Skeat, and when he came up again he said he would go forward,” answered she, giving the nautical pronunciation to the latter word.