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Authors: Peter Smalley
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it was some drunken fellow
calling out.'
'Drunken fellow ... no no, ha-ha, no no. I had wanted –
that is, I had meant to seek you out before this, you know,
and—'
'Everything was explained.' Over him. 'It was all told to
me, the whole thing.'
'Ah. Ah. Very good. Then ... ?'
'So in course there is no need for you yourself to explain
it. Now.'
'Well well, I had thought, you know, that it would – that
it would sound clearer, and better, coming direct from me,
d'y'see.'
'Yes? Did you? I expect so.'
'I can see that you are still angry with me.'
'Angry? Nay, I am not. You acted as you did because you
were under an obligation to do so. It was all explained to
me, some time since, as I've said.'
The difficulty between them had arisen when Rennie –
required to do so by high official request – had provoked a
spurious quarrel with Captain Langton after that officer had
sat on a court martial which dismissed Rennie from the service
for gross dereliction of duty. That too was spurious, unknown
to Captain Langton at the time. Rennie had subsequently
failed to appear at the appointed hour, having accepted
Captain Langton's challenge to a duel. These actions had
brought Rennie to disgrace – expiated only when the reason
for his actions was at last made known. He had all the time
been acting under official instruction, as part of a plan to
overthrow a clandestine attack upon the nation's interest.
Since then Rennie had meant to approach Langton in
person, and apologise for having insulted him, but the opportunity
had never arisen until now. Captain Langton had of
course been apprised of all the facts long since, but harboured
a niggling suspicion that Rennie's insults had been after all
more than mere play-acting and pretence. Rennie had
insulted him so roundly and publicly – a bombardment of
drunken epithets in a coffee house – that Langton could not
in his heart, in spite of the information he had been given,
quite believe in Rennie's innocence.
Rennie took a further breath now, and: 'Then, then, if
you ain't angry – the matter is all over and done. Will you
have supper with my wife and me, at the Marine Hotel?'
'Supper? I – I do not think I can. I must go aboard my
ship.' Stiffly.
'Perhaps – dinner, tomorrow?'
'I do not think I can – tomorrow. We are giving a dinner
aboard. A duty dinner.'
'Ah. Ah. Then I will bid you good day. No doubt we will
meet again, and perhaps I can persuade you to dine with us
another time. You have not met my wife, I think?'
'I have not had that honour.' Stiffly polite.
'Mrs Rennie was a naval widow when we met. Sylvia
Townend. I think you may have known her late husband.'
'Robert Townend? Captain Robert Townend?'
'Yes.' Sensing a thaw.
'Well, I did know him, years ago. But he was not then
married.' Again stiffly.
'Rennie felt that he must attempt a last time to make
Captain Langton understand him, and thus forgive him. A
breath, and:
'Look here, Langton, I feel very badly about what happened.
You was put to great trouble, and must've felt grievous
wronged. All that dishwater about the duel, and so forth—'
'Dishwater?'
'Well well, it was more than dishwater, I grant you. It was
deliberate deceit and insult. I wish you would allow me to
give you a full explication, if not over dinner, then in least
permit me to offer you a glass of wine—'
'Captain Rennie, an explication has already been made.
As I have tried to say to you, there is no need for further
iteration. If you will excuse me, I must go into my boat.'
Making to walk on.
'Oh, good God, man.' In something like despair. 'Will not
you unbend, and allow me to offer you my friendship?'
Captain Langton paused, hearing genuine distress in
Rennie's tone. He frowned, turned, and now his inherent
good nature overruled all else. The frown became an awkward
smile, and he held out his hand.
'Very well. Very well.'
They shook hands, to Rennie's great relief – and Captain
Langton's. Neither was a man that liked to
calling out.'
'Drunken fellow ... no no, ha-ha, no no. I had wanted –
that is, I had meant to seek you out before this, you know,
and—'
'Everything was explained.' Over him. 'It was all told to
me, the whole thing.'
'Ah. Ah. Very good. Then ... ?'
'So in course there is no need for you yourself to explain
it. Now.'
'Well well, I had thought, you know, that it would – that
it would sound clearer, and better, coming direct from me,
d'y'see.'
'Yes? Did you? I expect so.'
'I can see that you are still angry with me.'
'Angry? Nay, I am not. You acted as you did because you
were under an obligation to do so. It was all explained to
me, some time since, as I've said.'
The difficulty between them had arisen when Rennie –
required to do so by high official request – had provoked a
spurious quarrel with Captain Langton after that officer had
sat on a court martial which dismissed Rennie from the service
for gross dereliction of duty. That too was spurious, unknown
to Captain Langton at the time. Rennie had subsequently
failed to appear at the appointed hour, having accepted
Captain Langton's challenge to a duel. These actions had
brought Rennie to disgrace – expiated only when the reason
for his actions was at last made known. He had all the time
been acting under official instruction, as part of a plan to
overthrow a clandestine attack upon the nation's interest.
Since then Rennie had meant to approach Langton in
person, and apologise for having insulted him, but the opportunity
had never arisen until now. Captain Langton had of
course been apprised of all the facts long since, but harboured
a niggling suspicion that Rennie's insults had been after all
more than mere play-acting and pretence. Rennie had
insulted him so roundly and publicly – a bombardment of
drunken epithets in a coffee house – that Langton could not
in his heart, in spite of the information he had been given,
quite believe in Rennie's innocence.
Rennie took a further breath now, and: 'Then, then, if
you ain't angry – the matter is all over and done. Will you
have supper with my wife and me, at the Marine Hotel?'
'Supper? I – I do not think I can. I must go aboard my
ship.' Stiffly.
'Perhaps – dinner, tomorrow?'
'I do not think I can – tomorrow. We are giving a dinner
aboard. A duty dinner.'
'Ah. Ah. Then I will bid you good day. No doubt we will
meet again, and perhaps I can persuade you to dine with us
another time. You have not met my wife, I think?'
'I have not had that honour.' Stiffly polite.
'Mrs Rennie was a naval widow when we met. Sylvia
Townend. I think you may have known her late husband.'
'Robert Townend? Captain Robert Townend?'
'Yes.' Sensing a thaw.
'Well, I did know him, years ago. But he was not then
married.' Again stiffly.
'Rennie felt that he must attempt a last time to make
Captain Langton understand him, and thus forgive him. A
breath, and:
'Look here, Langton, I feel very badly about what happened.
You was put to great trouble, and must've felt grievous
wronged. All that dishwater about the duel, and so forth—'
'Dishwater?'
'Well well, it was more than dishwater, I grant you. It was
deliberate deceit and insult. I wish you would allow me to
give you a full explication, if not over dinner, then in least
permit me to offer you a glass of wine—'
'Captain Rennie, an explication has already been made.
As I have tried to say to you, there is no need for further
iteration. If you will excuse me, I must go into my boat.'
Making to walk on.
'Oh, good God, man.' In something like despair. 'Will not
you unbend, and allow me to offer you my friendship?'
Captain Langton paused, hearing genuine distress in
Rennie's tone. He frowned, turned, and now his inherent
good nature overruled all else. The frown became an awkward
smile, and he held out his hand.
'Very well. Very well.'
They shook hands, to Rennie's great relief – and Captain
Langton's. Neither was a man that liked to
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