Did the captain sigh or not?

[harriet_yang]

Dear teachers,

I was reading a book (The Girl Savage by Katherine Rundell) and ran into this sentence:

"Perhaps the captain saw something in the expression on Will's face at that moment, because he sighed deeply, which would not have been so bad, Will thought, except Captain Browne did not sigh. He would have said it was "dramatic and indulgent, girl."

So I assume the girl was imagining that the captain has sighed?

The problem is a few sentences later the author said "The captain sighed again." I got confused.

Thanks!

[jutfrank]

It's not very clear, is it? I see why you're confused.

I think it means that Captain Browne did sigh, but that he would not have admitted to it, because he considers sighing as too dramatic for him.

[GoesStation]

I think Will meant that Captain Browne did not usually sigh.

[jutfrank]

I think Will meant that Captain Browne did not usually sigh.

Oh, yes, right. I misread it but it's clear now. He is not in the habit of sighing.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I think Will meant that Captain Browne did not usually sigh.

Right. It wasn't like him. He wasn't a sigher. It would take something terrible to make him sigh.

[Tdol]

Then he sighs twice in a page or two.