fifth egg, to the no small anxiety of Martha and Jane, into
whose limited and innocent minds the possibility of such a feat had
never entered. "Wot, _me_! Why, capting, if they was biled as hard as
the head of a marline-spike--"

The expanding grin on the captain's face, and a sudden laugh from the
mate, apprised the bold harpooner at this point of his reply that the
captain was jesting, so he felt a little confused, and sought relief by
devoting himself assiduously to egg Number 5.

It fared ill with Tim Rokens that evening that he had rashly entered
into ladies' society, for he was a nervous man in refined company,
though cool and firm as a grounded iceberg when in the society of his
messmates, or when towing with the speed of a steamboat in the wake of a
sperm-whale.

Egg Number 5 proved to be a bad one. Worse than that, egg Number 5
happened to belong to that peculiar class of bad eggs which "go off"
with a little crack when hit with a spoon, and sputter their unsavoury
contents around them. Thus it happened, that when Mr Rokens, feeling
confused, and seeking relief in attention to the business then in hand,
hit egg Number 5 a smart blow on the top, a large portion of its
contents spurted over the fair white tablecloth, a small portion fell on
Mr Rokens' vest, and a minute yellow globule thereof alighted on the
fair Martha's hand, eliciting from that lady a scream, and as a matter
of course, an echo from Jane in the shape of a screamlet.

Mr Rokens flushed a deep Indian-red, and his nose assumed a warm blue
colour instantly.

"Oh! ma'am, I ax yer parding."

"Pray don't mention it--a mere accident. I'm so sorry you have got a
bad--Oh!"

The little scream with which Miss Martha interrupted her remark was
caused by Mr Rokens (who had just observed the little yellow globule
above referred to) seizing her hand, and wiping away the speck with the
identical handkerchief that had floored the cat and swept away the pat
of butter. Immediately thereafter, feeling heated, he wiped the
perspiration from his forehead, and unwittingly transferred the spot
thereto in the form of a yellow streak, whereat Ailie and the first mate
burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Even Miss Martha smiled,
although she rather objected to jesting, as being a dangerous amusement,
and never laughed at the weaknesses or misfortunes of others, however
ludicrous they might be, when she could help it.

"How can you, brother?" she