an'--"

He paused: "Well, I do declare I forgot I wasn't aboard my own ship,
but--" again he paused and looked at old Liz.

"I've no room for any of you in the garret," said that uncompromising
woman, "there ain't more than one compartment in it, and that's not too
big for me an' Susy; but you're welcome, both of you, to sleep in the
garden if you choose. Tommy sleeps there, under a big box, and a clever
sea-farin' man like you could--"

"All right, old lady," cried the seaman heartily. "I'll stop, an'
thankee; we'll soon rig up a couple o' bunks. So you will stop too,
young man--by the way, you--you didn't give us your name yet."

"My name is David Laidlaw; but I won't stop, thankee," replied the Scot
with unexpected decision of manner. "Ye see, I've been lookin' a' this
day for an auld freen' an' I _must_ find him afore the morn's mornin',
if I should seek him a' nicht. But, but--maybe I'll come an' speer for
'ee in a day or twa--if I may."

"If you mean that you will come and call, Mr Laidlaw," said old Liz,
"we will be delighted to see you at any time. Don't forget the
address."

"Nae fear--I'll putt it i' my note-buik," said David, drawing a
substantial volume from his breast pocket and entering the
address--`Mrs Morley, Cherub Court'--therein.

Having shaken hands all round he descended the stair with a firm tread
and compressed lips until he came out on the main thoroughfare, when he
muttered to himself sternly:

"Waux dolls, indeed! there's nane o' thae dolls'll git the better o' me.
H'm! a bonny wee face, nae doot but what div _I_ care for bonny faces
if the hairt's no' richt?"

"But suppose that the heart _is_ right?"

Who could have whispered that question? David Laidlaw could not stop to
inquire, but began to hum--

"Oh, this is no my ain lassie,
Kind though the lassie be,--"

In a subdued tone, as he sauntered along the crowded street, which by
that time was blazing with gas-light in the shop-windows and oil-lamps
on the hucksters' barrows.

The song, however, died on his lips, and he moved slowly along, stopping
now and then to observe the busy and to him novel scene, till he reached
a comparatively quiet turning, which was dimly lighted by only one lamp.
Here he felt a slight twitch at the bag which contained his little all.
Like lightning he turned and seized by the wrist a man who had already
opened the bag and laid hold of some of its contents. Grasping the poor
wretch by