.

Good-night to you, Mr Vanslyperken.

CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

IN WHICH SMALLBONES CHANGES FROM A KING'S MAN INTO A SMUGGLER, AND ALSO
CHANGES HIS SEX.

If we adhered to the usual plans of historical novel writers, we should,
in this instance, leave Smallbones to what must appear to have been his
inevitable fate, and then bring him on the stage again with a _coup de
theatre_, when least expected by the reader. But that is not our
intention; we consider that the interest of this our narration of
by-gone events is quite sufficient, without condescending to what is
called clap-trap; and there are so many people in our narrative
continually labouring under deception of one kind or another, that we
need not add to it by attempting to mystify our readers; who, on the
contrary, we shall take with us familiarly by the hand, and, like a
faithful historian, lead them through the events in the order in which
they occurred, and point out to them how they all lead to one common
end. With this intention in view, we shall now follow the fortunes of
Smallbones, whom we left floundering in about seven fathoms water.

The weather was warm, even sultry, as we said before; but
notwithstanding which, and notwithstanding he was a very tolerable
swimmer, considering that he was so thin, Smallbones did not like it.
To be awoke out of a profound sleep, and all of a sudden to find
yourself floundering out of your depth about half a mile from the
nearest land, is anything but agreeable; the transition is too rapid.
Smallbones descended a few feet before he could divest himself of the
folds of the Flustring coat which he had wrapped himself up in. It
belonged to Coble; he had purchased it at a sale-shop on the Point for
seventeen shillings and sixpence, and, moreover, it was as good as new.
In consequence of this delay below watermark Smallbones had very little
breath left in his body when he rose to the surface, and he could not
inflate his lungs so as to call loud, until the cutter had walked away
from him at least one hundred yards, for she was slipping fast through
the water, and another minute plainly proved to Smallbones that he was
left to his own resources.

At first, the lad had imagined that it was an accident, and that the
rope had given way with his weight; but when he found that no attention
was paid to his cries, he then was convinced that it was the work of Mr
Vanslyperken.

"By _gum_, he's a-done for me at last. Wel