A Chinese Command | Page 7

thoroughly myself on the way home, and, to tell the truth, I have almost persuaded myself that I may accept."
Dick Penryn, who during this narrative had been leaning back in his chair smoking, and listening attentively, took his pipe from his mouth, tapped the ashes out slowly and thoughtfully against the bars of the grate, and sat up straight. Then, after a lengthy pause, he delivered judgment.
"Well, Murray," he said, "I've listened most attentively to your yarn, and I've been trying to look at the matter from an unprejudiced and independent standpoint. Of course, as you very truthfully say, anything in the nature of gun-running or smuggling is totally opposed to all our Navy traditions. At the same time, you are, unfortunately, no longer in the Navy; to all intents and purposes you are now a private individual, at liberty to take up any calling, profession, trade, or whatever you care to term it, that offers you a chance to make a living. Employment of some sort you certainly must have; and so long as that employment is honest--I might almost say in your particular case, so long as it is not dishonest--I think you will be wise to take the first thing that offers.
"You have been out of harness for over a year now, and your ready cash must be running pretty low, I should think; besides, this is the first offer that has come your way since you left the Navy, and if you do not accept it while you have the opportunity, it may perhaps be another year or more before you are given another chance. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with Drake's proposal. It is a purely business enterprise. Certain folk require certain goods, and Drake contracts to supply them. In order to carry out his agreement he needs your help, and is willing to pay very handsomely for it; so my advice to you, my son, is that you take what is offered, and be thankful. Of course I need not say that if the arms had been intended for any country at war, or likely at any time to be at war, with England, such a thing would be absolutely impossible for you to contemplate for a moment; but as things are--well, I have no hesitation in saying that under similar circumstances my conscience would not worry me very much."
At this very clear and definite expression of opinion, Frobisher's anxious expression vanished. He had evidently been a little afraid that his friend might not look altogether favourably on the scheme; and he was not so deeply in love with it himself that he would have felt inclined to follow it up had Dick voted against it or pronounced it of too "shady" a character for a gentleman to meddle with. But since Dick's views coincided so completely with his own, he felt that there could be no longer any room for hesitation.
"I'm glad indeed to hear you say that, Dick," he exclaimed, jumping up. "It decides me absolutely. Tomorrow I'll run down to the docks, see Drake on board the Quernmore instead of waiting to meet him at the hotel as I had arranged, and tell him I have decided to accept his offer. I would go down to-night if it were not so late; for now that I've made up my mind I should feel pretty bad if meanwhile he happened to meet someone else who had not so many scruples as myself, and who needed a job badly enough to accept the opening on the spot, without taking time to think it over.
"However, I don't think Drake will interview anybody else until he has had my answer, for he certainly seemed anxious enough to secure my particular services; so I'll hope for the best and leave things in the hands of fate. And now, Dick," he went on, passing his hand across his forehead, "I've had a long tiring day, and have a rather bad headache into the bargain; so, if you don't mind, I think I'll toddle up to bed and get to sleep; for I want to be up early in the morning. Good night, old man!"
"Good night, Murray, my hearty!" replied his friend. "I hope you'll sleep well, and have pleasant dreams. You ought to, after this piece of good luck. By the way, when does Drake want you to go aboard?"
"Oh, to be sure; I quite forgot to mention that. He told me that if I decided to join him he would require me to be on board as soon as I possibly could. Indeed, he hinted that if I could make it convenient to turn up tomorrow evening and sleep aboard the ship, he would be more than pleased. You see, he has his cargo