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company for us to meet in, Mr Hay,' he pursued, with easy incivility to
the others. 'But do you bear out ... I beg this gentleman's pardon, I
really did not catch his name.'
'My name is 'Uish, sir,' returned the clerk, and blushed in turn.
'Ah!' said Attwater. And then turning again to Herrick, 'Do you bear out
Mr Whish's description of your vintage? or was it only the unaffected
poetry of his own nature bubbling up?'
Herrick was embarrassed; the silken brutality of their visitor made
him blush; that he should be accepted as an equal, and the others thus
pointedly ignored, pleased him in spite of himself, and then ran through
his veins in a recoil of anger.
'I don't know,' he said. 'It's only California; it's good enough, I
believe.'
Attwater seemed to make up his mind. 'Well then, I'll tell you what: you
three gentlemen come ashore this evening and bring a basket of wine with
you; I'll try and find the food,' he said. 'And by the by, here is a
question I should have asked you when I come on board: have you had
smallpox?'
'Personally, no,' said Herrick. 'But the schooner had it.'
'Deaths?' from Attwater.
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