een all gratitude for their noble self-denial when they made the
promise; "what airs they would give themselves! And what could they do
with the money? Drink it out! I am sure that the condition of our best
tumblers, after they come, is something. People who don't know anything
about it always fancy that glass will clean. Glass won't clean, after
such men as those; and as for the table--don't talk of it."

"Two out of the three are gone"--the lieutenant's conscience was not
void of offense concerning tables--"gone upon promotion. Everybody gets
promotion, if he only does his very best never to deserve it. They ought
to have caught Lyth long and long ago. What are such dummies fit for?"

"But, Charles, you know that they would have acted meanly and
dishonestly if they had done so. They promised not to catch him; and
they carried out their promise."

"Matilda, such questions are beyond you altogether. You can not be
expected to understand the service. One of those trumpery, half-decked
craft--or they used to be half-deckers in my time--has had three of
those fresh-meat Jemmies over her in a single twelvemonth. But of course
they were all bound by the bargain they had made. As for that, small
thanks to them. How could they catch him, when I couldn't? They chop and
they change so, I forget their names; my head is not so good as it was,
with getting so much moonlight."

"Nonsense, Charles; you know them like your fingers. But I know what you
want; you want Geraldine, you are so proud to hear her tell it."

"Tilly, you are worse. You love to hear her say it. Well, call her in,
and let her do it. She is making an oyster-shell cradle over there, with
two of the blessed babies."

"Charles, how very profane you are! All babes are blest by the Lord, in
an independent parable, whether they can walk, or crawl, or put up their
feet and take nourishment. Jerry, you come in this very moment. What
are you doing with your two brothers there, and a dead skate--bless the
children! Now say the cutters and their captains."

Geraldine, who was a pretty little girl, as well as a good and clever
one, swept her wind-tossed hair aside, and began to repeat her lesson;
for which she sometimes got a penny when her father had made a good
dinner.

"His Majesty's cutter Swordfish, Commander Nettlebones, senior officer
of the eastern division after my papa, although a very young man still,
carries a swivel-gun and two bow-chasers. His Majesty's