"Better leave it to me.

Shipping's dull, then ?" he inquired, turning to Captain Brisket.
"Dull ?" was the reply.

"Dull ain't no name for it." Mr.Tredgold played with a salt-spoon and frowned thoughtfully.
"We've been looking round for a ship this morning," he said, slowly.
"As passengers ?" inquired the captain, staring.
"As owners," put in Mr.Chalk.
Captain Brisket, greatly interested, drew first his glass and then his chair a yard nearer.

"Do you mean that you want to buy one ?" he inquired.
"Well, we might if we could get one cheap," admitted Tredgold, cautiously.

"We had some sort of an idea of a cruise to the South Pacific; pleasure, with perhaps a little trading mixed up with it.