16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
tracting an account of English municipal government
from Vidal, his right-hand neighbour
and Stephen's vis-à-vis.
Vidal was a middle-aged seaman with much
of the dignity that Stephen had often observed
in those who were masters of their trade: yet
apart from his earrings one would scarcely
have taken him for a sailor. His face, though
tanned mahogany, was more that of a goodnatured
reading man and it would have been
no surprise to see him reach for a pair of
spectacles. He had the habitual gravity expected
of an elder, but his expression was far
from humourless; there was nothing of the
Holy Joe about him and he was perfectly at
home in a ribald, profane ship's company and
in a bloody, close-fought action. He laughed
at his messmates' mediaeval jokes, at the
young men's occasional horseplay, and at the
facetiousness of his cousin the bosun; but no