don't think we shall meet him
and his dog at Fiddler's Green--heh!"

"No," replied Short, taking his pipe from his lip.

"No, no, Jemmy, a seaman true means one true in heart as well as in
knowledge; but, like a blind fiddler, he'll be led by his dog somewhere
else."

"From vere de dog did come from," observed Jansen.

The band now struck up again, and played a waltz--a dance new to our
country, but older than the Heptarchy. Jansen, with his pipe in his
mouth, took one of the women by the waist, and steered round the room
about as leisurely as a capstan heaving up. Dick Short also took
another made four turns, reeled up against a Dutchman who was doing it
with _sang froid_, and then suddenly left his partner, and dropped into
his chair.

"I say, Jemmy," said Obadiah Coble, "why don't you give a girl a twist
round?"

"Because I can't, Oby; my compasses ain't long enough to describe a
circle. You and I are better here, old boy. I, because I've very
little legs, and you, because you havn't a leg to stand upon."

"Very true--not quite so young as I was forty years ago. Howsomever I
mean this to be my last vessel. I shall bear up for one of the London
dockyards as a rigger."

"Yes, that'll do; only keep clear of the girt-lines, you're too stiff
for that."

"No, that would not exactly tell; I shall pick my own work, and that's
where I can bring my tarry trousers to an anchor--mousing the mainstay,
or puddening the anchor, with the best of any. Dick, lend us a bit of
'baccy."

Short pulled out his box without saying a word. Coble took a quid, and
Short thrust the box again into his pocket.

In the meantime the waltz continued, and being a favourite dance, there
were about fifty couple going round and round the room. Such was the
variety in the dress, country, language, and appearance of the parties
collected, that you might have imagined it a masquerade. It was,
however, getting late, and Frau Vandersloosh had received the intimation
of the people of the police who superintend these resorts, that it was
the time for shutting up; so that, although the widow was sorry on her
own account to disperse so merry and so thirsty a party as they were now
becoming, so soon as the waltz was ended the musicians packed up their
instruments and departed.

This was a signal for many, but by no means for all, to depart; for
music being over, and the house doors closed, a few who remained,
provided they made no distu