leastways nobody else--thanks be to the Cap'en, mum."

"Pooh, pooh, there's nothing to make a fuss about," interposed the old
sailor, anxious to let these personalities be dropped, being very shy of
any of his good actions being noticed. "The boy's all right. He has
only changed his rig, that's all, the same as you put on a new dress on
going out walking, ma'am."

"That's a nice thing to say of an economical person like me, sir!" said
Mrs Gilmour, shaking her parasol at him in jocular anger. "One would
think I was one of those fine ladies who have a new dress every day in
the week, and milliners' bills as long as your old malacca cane."

"Well, well, I apologise, ma'am, for I know better than that, as you are
far too sensible a woman to spend all your money on finery," said the
Captain, with a low bow. "But where are we going to now, for I see you
are dressed for walking?"

"Down to the sea, of course," she replied. "Nell and I went up to
Landport this morning, while you and Bob were `transmogrifying' that
boy, as my old father used to say. We paid a visit to the old lady
whose eggs were broken yesterday by Master Rover's gambols. You may
remember, Captain, I promised her some from my own fowls in place of
those she lost. Don't you recollect how anxious the poor creature was
about them?"

"Yes, yes, I remember," said the old sailor, his face beaming with good-
humour. "You're always kind and thoughtful."

"Whish!" cried Mrs Gilmour playfully. "None of your blarney!"

"Oh, Bob!" exclaimed Nellie, interposing at this juncture, while they
still all stood talking together in front of the house, neither Mrs
Gilmour nor the `old commodore' having yet given the signal for sailing,
"she has got such a dear little place of her own."

"Who's `she'--the cat's mother, Nell?"

Nellie laughed.

"I mean the old lady who had the broken eggs."

"Aye," put in the Captain, "and who nearly had broken legs likewise!"

This made Nellie laugh again.

"Oh, you know who I mean very well, Bob," said she, when she had ceased
to giggle. "She has got the dearest little cottage, you ever saw. It
is fitted up just like the cabin of a ship inside; her husband, who was
a ship's carpenter, having done it all. Why, the walls are covered with
Chinese pictures and shells and curios which he picked up in all sorts
of outlandish places, bringing them home after his various voyages. Oh,
Bob, you never saw such funny things."

"D