very own, for I made
it for thee."

It was indeed a pretty little ship, being a perfect model of an
Elizabethan ship, built up high at bow and stern, "for," as Sebastian
explained, "majesty and terror of the enemy", and with deck and orlop,
waist and poop, hold and masts--all complete with forecastle and cabin,
masts and spars, port-holes and guns, sails, anchor, and carved
figure-head. The woodwork was painted in white and green and red, and at
bow and stern was richly carved and gilded.

"For me," Dickie said--"really for me? And you made it yourself!"

"Truth to tell, I began it long since in the long winter evenings," said
his friend, "and now 'tis done and 'tis thine. See, I shall put an apron
on thee and thou shalt be my 'prentice and learn to build another quaint
ship like her--to be her consort; and we will sail them together in the
pond in thy father's garden."

Dickie, still devouring the little _Golden Venture_ with his eyes,
submitted to the leather apron, and felt in his hand the smooth handle
of the tool Sebastian put there.

"But," he said, "I don't understand. You remember the Armada--twenty
years ago. I thought it was hundreds and hundreds."

"Twenty years ago--or nearer eighteen," said Sebastian; "thou'lt have to
learn to reckon better than that if thou'st to be my 'prentice. 'Twas in
the year of grace 1588, and we are now in the year 1606. This makes it
eighteen years, to my reckoning."

"It was 1906 in my dream," said Dickie--"I mean in my fever."

"In fever," Sebastian said, "folk travel far. Now, hold the wood so, and
the knife thus."

Then every day Dickie went down to the dockyard when lessons were done.
For there were lessons now, with a sour-faced tutor in a black gown,
whom Dickie disliked extremely. The tutor did not seem to like Dickie
either. "The child hath forgot in his fever all that ever he learned of
me," he complained to the old nurse, who nodded wisely and said he would
soon learn all afresh. And he did, very quickly, learn a great deal, and
always it was more like remembering than learning. And a second tutor,
very smart in red velvet and gold, with breeches like balloons and a
short cloak and a ruff, who was an extremely jolly fellow, came in the
mornings to teach him to fence, to dance, and to run and to leap and to
play bowls, and promised in due time to teach him wrestling, catching,
archery, pall-mall, rackets, riding, tennis, and all sports and games
proper for a y