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She nodded and dashed away, and shortly Ferris ca: quite altered, Terown heavier-set, especially in the shoulders, and perhaps he had been sunburnt so often that the color had finally stuck, for he was florid in the cheeks, and seehted nevertheless: Ferris had perhaps not been so good a first lieutenant as Granby, but he had been very young at the time, and in any case he should certainly be an improvement over any of the officers here, and of Iskierka’s crew, also

Poor Ferris looked very ill, Laurence thought as he stood to ed beyond his twenty and three, and, Laurence was sorry to see, theto be visible in his face

"I aain, Mr Ferris," Te his head, "however you have coly said he had come on a recent colony ship--he had heard--and there trailed off; Laurence said, "Temeraire, if you will excuse us; Mr Ferris, perhaps you ith me a moment"

Ferris ca for shelter: set apart froainst Rankin; Laurence was doubly grateful for the privacy now He waved Ferris to one of the slad indeed to see you again, and to have the opportunity to race to accept theed more deeply"

Ferris darkened a little in the cheeks, and took Laurence’s offered hand with a low and half-ible

Laurence paused, but Ferris did not speak further, his eyes still downcast Laurence hardly kne to proceed--to offer aht to protect Ferris, and his other officers, by concealing from them his treason and Teet norance, Ferris had been dishted, a fa Laurence could not reproach hied him

"We looked for word of you," Laurence said finally, "but--I could not presume to write your family--"

"No, of course," Ferris said, low "I know you were in prison, when--" and they were silent once again

"I can hardly offer you any recompense which should be adequate," Laurence said at last: as futile as the offer ht be, still it must be made "But whatever remedy should be into establish an estate, I would--" Laurence sed his distaste "I can presuovernor, MacArthur; if you should--"

"No, sir, I don’t, that--I heard you had gone, and Terounds here," Ferris said "I thought, if you were not an officer yourself, anyht be of use, if I came And in any case--" He stopped, and indeed did not need to go on to make abundantly clear the other motives which should have made such a flimsy hope sufficient to induce him to take ship around the world, for a tiny and ill-run prison colony: the worst sort of disgrace and mortification, and the life of an outcast "But I hear you are restored to the list, sir"

Laurence scarcely repressed a flinch: he, the actual traitor, had been reinstated, and guiltless Ferris had not And that very injustice now barred Laurence fro him a real place: as a captain of the Aerial Corps, he could appoint only aviators to Teht contrive to offer Ferris soer-on of sorts; but such a situation could only be deeply painful, putting Ferris in daily coifted and likely to offer him the same disdain which Laurence with more justice had met

He made the offer nevertheless "If you should care for such employment as should offer itself," he said, the details of necessity reue, "and would not object to the journey, I would be glad of your--" There he stopped, and finished aardly with, "--colad of--of the opportunity," Ferris said, also aard; that he perceived all the saes as did Laurence was plain, and equally plain that he was resigned to thenize he had no other alternative that was preferable: ahiiance; if you will be so good as to transfer your things there," Laurence said "We leave at the earliest opportunity"

"I ae you, Captain," Hammond said, "but of course, you understand that only Royal dispensation can make any reard--"

Laurence had written before now, ladly seen Ferris reinstated as well if she could; he was not in the least sanguine "Sir," he said, "I beg you will forgive me; I have made no demands, nor have I any for myself or for Temeraire, but I must make this my price, as little as I like to have one You must see there is no just cause why I should have my rank restored, and Mr Ferris not"