16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
anything else, steadily exposed the upper thorax
of the frigate-bird.
He had not quite bared all the essentials by
the time Killick and Padeen came in fairly
skipping with impatience to say that the gunroom
was assembling – the feast was almost
under way. He submitted to their attentions
and hurried below properly dressed, fairly
clean, with his wig straight on his head and a
look of shining delight still on his face.
'Why, gentlemen,' he cried on entering the
gunroom, 'I am afraid I was almost late.'
'It is no matter,' said Grainger. 'We had another
whet and feel the better for it. But now I
will ask Mr Martin to say grace, and we will
set to.'
Martin had been moved to make room for
two more Shelmerstonians from the prize and
now he was on Stephen's right. He was look-