On satisfying desire

[sid]

"What a joy it is to satisfy desire," observed Jack when all was done. He emptied his glass, threw down his napkin, and said, "Will you not turn in now, Stephen? It is very late."

(chapter 4)

Old Friends

[heather_mist]

Chapter Three

He is a poor, short, bent, meagre, ill-looking little creature, very like. . . that is to say, you are the only grown person aboard whose clothes would fit him. You shall have them back of course, as soon as he can whip up something to appear on the quarterdeck in.'
'Killick,' called Stephen, barely raising his voice, since he knew that their valuable common servant was listening behind the door - Killick had something of a cold in his chest and his heavy breathing could have been heard at a far greater distance.
'Killick, be so good as to bring a respectable white shirt, the blue coat whose button you were replacing, a neck-cloth, a pair of duck trousers, stockings, shoes - buckled shoes - and a handkerchief.'
Killick opened his mouth: but to Captain Aubrey's astonishment he shut it again, paused, said, 'Aye-aye, sir: respectable white shirt it is, the blue coat, neck-cloth, ducks, stockings, buckled shoes, wipe,' and hurried away.


All of this passage is lovely - for Jack's unvarnished opinion of Stephen lack of physical attributes, stopping only just in time from being downright rude (but really not quite...), for Stephen accepting it with such equanimity but most of all, I just love the hilarity of this piece and in particular Stephen not even bothering to raise his voice to talk to Killick because he knows he is listening anyway and the absolute acceptance by everyone concerned - Stephen, Jack and Killick that of course he would be listening!

A beautifully realised scene between three people who have known each other such a very long time and so intimately well that they none of them need be terribly polite to each other.