le Chef d'escadre_, but we waste time." The Commodore paused, open-mouthed, in the middle of a sentence, and stared.
"Yes, yes," repeated Captain Salt, nodding at him with the coolest assurance; "we are really wasting time.

Be so good as to lend me your attention while I sketch out a little plan that I have drawn up for a descent upon Harwich." The officers round the board were fairly taken aback by this stroke of impudence.

The Commodore was the first to recover his presence of mind, and said, drawing himself up: "Monsieur appears not to have observed that I was speaking." "Pardon, sir, but I observed that you were speaking overmuch.
But let me proceed.

Harwich, as you know, is a port at the mouth of the River Stour, at the extreme north-east corner of Essex.

I give you this information, gentlemen, as I am not sure if any of you have travelled so far." The captains looked at one another and the eldest among them, M.Baudus, of _Le Paon_, stood up.
"Monsieur will forgive the remark," he said, "but it appears to me that he forgets his place." "Tut, tut," answered the Englishman, with an air of slight impatience; "I must trouble you to sit down, sir, and attend.
Really," he continued, looking around, "I must insist upon the attention of everyone, as I shall need your intelligent co-operation.
My plan is this: I mean to make this a night attack.