"Was you expecting to find the Arabella here ?" Wolverstone looked him over in contempt, then laughed and spoke loud enough to be heard by all around him.

"Of course.

What else ?" And he laughed again, a laugh that seemed to Dyke to be calling him a fool.
On that Wolverstone turned to give his attention to the operation of anchoring.
Anon when ashore he was beset by questioning buccaneers, it was from their very questions that he gathered exactly how matters stood, and perceived that either from lack of courage or other motive Blood, himself, had refused to render any account of his doings since the Arabella had separated from her sister ships.

Wolverstone congratulated himself upon the discretion he had used with Dyke.
"The Captain was ever a modest man," he explained to Hagthorpe and those others who came crowding round him.

"It's not his way to be sounding his own praises.