euvres, tell me if you wish me to hoist the
neutral flag--for I won't interfere with you."

"Here's my hand upon it, Tom, that the coast is clear as far as I'm
concerned; but take care--she's a clipper, and not unlikely to slip
through your fingers, even when you have her under your lee, within
hail."

"Let me alone, Jacob, for that."

"And more, Tom, when you're in possession of her, she will require a
good man at the helm."

"Then she's just the craft after my fancy. I hate your steady,
slow-sailing craft, that will steer themselves, almost; give me one that
requires to be managed by a man and a seaman."

"If well manned, she will do anything, depend upon it, Tom, for she's as
sound below as possible; and although she is down to her bearings on the
puff of the moment, yet she'd not careen further."

"Well, then, Jacob, all's right; and now you've told me what tack she's
on, see if I don't shape a course to cut her off."

"Well, Jacob, my good boy, so you've been under the water again; I
thought you had enough of it when Fleming gave you such a twist; but,
however, this time you went to sarve a friend, which was all right. My
sarvice to you Mr Stapleton," continued old Tom, as Stapleton made his
appearance. "I was talking to Jacob about his last dive."

"Nothing but human natur'," replied Stapleton.

"Well, now," replied old Tom, "I consider that going plump into the
river, when covered with ice, to be quite contrary to human natur'."

"But not to save a friend, father?"

"No--because, that be Jacob's nature; so you see one nature conquered
the other, and that's the whole long and short of it."

"Well, now, suppose we sit down and make ourselves comfortable,"
observed Stapleton; "but here be somebody else coming up--who can it
be?"

"I say, old codger, considering you be as deaf as a post, you hears
pretty well," said old Tom.

"Yes, I hear very well in the house, provided people don't speak loud."

"Well, that's a queer sort of deafness; I think we are all troubled with
the same complaint," cried Tom, laughing.

During this remark, the Dominie made his appearance. "_Salve Domine_,"
said I upon his entering, taking my worthy pedagogue by the hand.

"_Et tu quoque, fili mi, Jacobe_! But whom have we here? the deaf man,
the maiden, and--ehu!--the old man called old Tom, and likewise the
young Tom;" and the Dominie looked very grave.

"Nay, sir," said young Tom, going up to the Dominie; "I know