golden.

Joe tried a few of the principal points with Tommy upon his return to
the steamer, the necessity for using compliments instead of threats to a
ship's boy being very galling to his proud nature.

"You be a good boy like you always 'ave been, Tommy," he said, with
a kindly smile, "and don't breathe a word about wot's 'appened this
evening, and 'ere's a tanner for you to spend--a whole tanner."

Tommy bit it carefully, and, placing it in his pocket, whistled
thoughtfully.

"Fill your pipe out o' that, young 'un," said Mr. Green, proffering his
pouch with a flourish.

The boy complied, and putting a few reserve charges in his pocket,
looked up at him shrewdly.

"Is it very partikler?" he enquired, softly.

"_Partikler!_" repeated Joe. "I should think it is. He can't think 'ow
partikler it is, can 'e, Will-yum?"

Mr. Green shook his head.

"It's worth more than a tanner then," said Tommy, briskly.

"Look 'ere," said Joe, suppressing his natural instincts by a strong
effort. "You keep quiet for three days, and I'll be a friend to you for
life. And so will Will-yum, won't you, old man?"

Mr. Green, with a smile of rare condescension, said that he would.

"Look 'ere," said the bargainer, "I'll tell you what I'll do for you:
you gimme another tanner each instead, and that's letting you off cheap,
'cos your friendship 'ud be worth pounds and pounds to anybody what
wanted it."

He gazed firmly at his speechless, would-be friends and waited patiently
until such time as their emotion would permit of a reply. Joe was the
first to speak, and Tommy listened unmoved to a description of himself
which would have made a jelly-fish blush.

"Tanner each," he said, simply; "I don't want friends who can talk like
that to save sixpence."

Mr. Green, with a sarcasm which neither Tommy nor Joe understood, gave
him the amount in coppers. His friend followed suit, and the boy, having
parted with his reputation at a fair price, went below, whistling.

Fraser came on board soon afterwards, and Mr. Green, with his celebrated
drunken scene fresh in his mind, waited nervously for developments. None
ensuing, he confided to Joe his firm conviction that Miss Tyrell was
a young lady worth dying for, and gloomily wondered whether Fraser was
good enough for her. After which, both men, somewhat elated, fell to
comparing head-pieces.

Joe was in a state of nervous tension while steam was getting up, and,
glued to the side of the