strangely with
the gay sunlight, as did their forced merriment with the boisterous
hilarity of the two young men, who, now and then, varied their amusements
by 'bonneting' the proprietor of this itinerant coffee-house.

Mr. Percy Noakes walked briskly by, and when he turned down Strand-lane,
and caught a glimpse of the glistening water, he thought he had never
felt so important or so happy in his life.

'Boat, sir?' cried one of the three watermen who were mopping out their
boats, and all whistling. 'Boat, sir?'

'No,' replied Mr. Percy Noakes, rather sharply; for the inquiry was not
made in a manner at all suitable to his dignity.

'Would you prefer a wessel, sir?' inquired another, to the infinite
delight of the 'Jack-in-the-water.'

Mr. Percy Noakes replied with a look of supreme contempt.

'Did you want to be put on board a steamer, sir?' inquired an old
fireman-waterman, very confidentially. He was dressed in a faded red
suit, just the colour of the cover of a very old Court-guide.

'Yes, make haste--the Endeavour--off the Custom-house.'

'Endeavour!' cried the man who had convulsed the 'Jack' before. 'Vy, I
see the Endeavour go up half an hour ago.'

'So did I,' said another; 'and I should think she'd gone down by this
time, for she's a precious sight too full of ladies and gen'lemen.'

Mr. Percy Noakes affected to disregard these representations, and stepped
into the boat, which the old man, by dint of scrambling, and shoving, and
grating, had brought up to the causeway. 'Shove her off!' cried Mr.
Percy Noakes, and away the boat glided down the river; Mr. Percy Noakes
seated on the recently mopped seat, and the watermen at the stairs
offering to bet him any reasonable sum that he'd never reach the
'Custum-us.'

'Here she is, by Jove!' said the delighted Percy, as they ran alongside
the Endeavour.

'Hold hard!' cried the steward over the side, and Mr. Percy Noakes jumped
on board.

'Hope you will find everything as you wished, sir. She looks uncommon
well this morning.'

'She does, indeed,' replied the manager, in a state of ecstasy which it
is impossible to describe. The deck was scrubbed, and the seats were
scrubbed, and there was a bench for the band, and a place for dancing,
and a pile of camp-stools, and an awning; and then Mr. Percy Noakes
bustled down below, and there were the pastrycook's men, and the
steward's wife, laying out the dinner on two tables the whole length of
the cabin