uch indeed. But the
dogs seemed well and happy, though they were doctored with herb tea
instead of stuff from the chemist's, and the charms that were said over
them to make them swift and strong certainly did not make them any the
less strong and swift.

When Dickie had learned as much about dogs as he felt he could bear for
that day, he felt free to go down to the dockyard and go on learning how
ships were built. Sebastian looked up at the voice and ceased the blows
with which his axe was smoothing a great tree trunk that was to be a
mast, and smiled in answer to his smile.

"Oh, what a long time since I have seen thee!" Dickie cried.

And Sebastian, gently mocking him, answered, "A great while indeed--two
whole long days. And those thou'st spent merrymaking in the King's water
pageant. Two days--a great while, a great, great while."

"I want you to teach me everything you know," said Dickie, picking up
an awl and feeling its point.

[Illustration: "'OH, WHAT A LONG TIME SINCE I HAVE SEEN THEE!' DICKIE
CRIED"

[_Page 147_]

"Have patience with me," laughed Sebastian; "I will teach thee all thou
canst learn, but not all in one while. Little by little, slow and sure."

"You must not think," said Dickie, "that it's only play, and that I do
not need to learn because I am my father's son."

"Should I think so?" Sebastian asked; "I that have sailed with Captain
Drake and Captain Raleigh, and seen how a gentleman venturer needs to
turn his hand to every guess craft? If thou's so pleased to learn as
Sebastian is to teach, then he'll be as quick to teach as thou to learn.
And so to work!"

He fetched out from the shed the ribs of the little galleon that he and
Dickie had begun to put together, and the two set to work on it. It was
a happy day. And one happiness was to all the other happinesses of that
day as the sun is to little stars--and that happiness was the happiness
of being once more a little boy who did not need to use a crutch.

And now the beautiful spacious life opened once more for Dickie, and he
learned many things and found the days all good and happy and all the
nights white and peaceful, in the big house and the beautiful garden on
the slopes above Deptford. And the nights had no dreams in them, and in
the days Dickie lived gaily and worthily, the life of the son of a
great and noble house, and now he had no prickings of conscience about
Beale, left alone in the little house in Deptford. Because one