"They telt me ye was in Callyforny, an had made 'eer fortin there by
howkin' gold."

"Well, they told the truth, my good woman, but I happened to invest all
in Blankow Bank shares, and--"

"Wow! wow!" exclaimed Mrs Niven, whimpering, for she understood full
well the meaning of that, "an' 'ee've been ruined! Oh dear! Weel,
weel, ay, ay, an it's come to that. Jist like my kind freen' Maister
Black. Losh me! man," she added in a sudden burst of indignation, "what
for disna the Government order a penny subscription ower the hail
kingdom to git the puir guiltless shareholders oot o' their
diffeeculties?"

Philosopher Jack declined to enter upon so subtle a question, but after
finding that his old room was vacant, retook it, and then went out to
the region of the docks to pay a visit to Captain Samson. He found that
old salt in possession of his old lodging, but it was wonderfully
changed, and, perhaps, not for the better. Polly was there, however,
and her presence would have made any place charming.

"Sit down. There is an empty keg to offer a friend," said the captain,
looking round the almost empty room. "You see they've cleared me out.
Had to sell everything a'most."

This was true. The marine stores, coils of rope, kegs, charts,
telescopes, log-lines, sextants, foreign shells, model ships, Chinese
idols--all were gone, excepting a table, a chair, a child's crib in a
corner, and the hammock, which latter looked more like an overwhelmingly
heavy cloud than ever, as it hung over the clean but desolate scene.

"But we're going to have _such_ a nice tea," said Polly, "and you shall
stay and have some."

She bustled about the fire, but it had so little heart that even her
coaxing nearly failed to make it burn. Jack offered to assist.

"Take care," said Polly with some anxiety; "if you cough or sneeze
you'll put it out."

"But I promise neither to cough nor sneeze," said Jack.

Under their united efforts the fire blazed, and tea with buttered toast
ere long smoked on the board.

"Polly's going to London," said the captain suddenly--almost fiercely.

"Yes," said Polly, hastening to explain; "you see, my aunt Maria has
been so good as to offer to take me to live with her and put me to
school."

"Ha!" said the captain, almost blowing the buttered toast out of his
mouth with contempt, "and Aunt Maria says she'll make a lady of Polly!
Think o' that, Jack; _make_ a lady out of an angel!"

The captain wa