It did not make him eccentric, but it was not a thing usual with the naval man.

Again, he wished to be known simply as Mr.Roscoe, not as Captain Roscoe, which was his rank.

He said nothing about having retired, yet I guessed he had done so.

One evening, however, soon after we had left Aden, we were sitting in my cabin, and the conversation turned upon a recent novel dealing with the defection of a clergyman of the Church of England through agnosticism.

The keenness with which he threw himself into the discussion and the knowledge he showed, surprised me.