into consciously or
unconsciously rendering him a service.

"The top o' the mornin' to ye, misther," he began. "I hopes that you
and the lady slept well last night, in this quiet, snug little harbour;
havin' the brig all to yourselves, too."

"Ay," retorted I; "and having to prepare our own supper last night, and
our breakfast this morning. As for quiet, the place is quiet enough; it
is the drunken blackguards occupying it that make all the row. Oh yes,
we slept well enough, thank you--after the crowd ashore had guzzled
themselves into a state of drunken insensibility."

"Begorra, thin," he exclaimed, in affected surprise, "did the shpalpeens
keep ye awake? Whoy, Oi'd have thought you'd have heard the sorra a
sound out here. But it's not goin' to happen again; it was just a bit
of a jollification we threated ourselves to upon the strength of
foindin' the oiland all right; but there'll be no more of it--barrin',
maybe, a bit of a spree when our work's done here, and we're ready to
sail for home again. And, as to your breakfast, bedad Oi forgot it
intoirely, but Oi'll send the shteward off, wid ordhers that he's to do
nothin' but just wait upon ye and the lady, and make things comfortable
for ye."

"What the mischief does he want me to do for him?" wondered I. "It must
be something of especial moment, or he would never be so extraordinarily
civil and obliging!"

But I merely answered:

"Thanks! It was part of our agreement, you will remember, that we were
to be properly looked after, and waited upon. And, while we are upon
the subject, there is another matter I should like to mention. It is
exceedingly close and stuffy below, in this climate, and I should
therefore like to have an awning, or something of the kind, rigged up
abaft here, so that I may be able to arrange sleeping places on deck for
Miss Onslow and myself while we are lying here."

"An awning is it?" exclaimed O'Gorman, with effusion. "Begorra ye shall
have that same, and welcome as the flowers of spring. Ay, and Oi'll
send ye off a topsail to throw over the spanker-boom and so make ye two
illigant staterooms, one on each side the deck."

"It certainly must be some very extraordinary service that he wishes me
to render him!" thought I. But I answered:

"Very well. As soon as the people are sober enough to behave
themselves, send them off with the canvas and some lashing, and I will
tell them what I want done."

"Oi'll do that same,"