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  • "Should these rumours reach Mr Fielding he was to pay no attention. On the contrary, Captain Aubrey was an honorable man, who would scorn to insult a brother-officer's wife with dishonest proposals; indeed she had such confidence in his perfect rectitude that she could visit him without even the protection of a maid. Captain Aubrey knew very well she would not ply the oar.

    "'Ply the oar, ma'am?' said Jack, looking up from his paper, his pen poised.

    "'Is it not right? I was so proud of it.'

    "'Oh yes,' said Jack. 'Only the word is spelt rather odd, you know,' and he wrote she would not play the whore very carefully, so that the letters could not be mistaken, smiling secretly as he did so..."

    --Patrick O'Brian, Treason's Harbour, 65

    February 15, 2008

  • Ha!

    February 15, 2008