half-pay."

"That's what made me bite, Mr Simple; I thought of the old woman, and
how comfortable it would make her in her old age, and so, d'ye see, I
sacrificed myself."

"How long have you been married, Swinburne?"

"Ever since Christmas '94. I wasn't going to be hook'd carelessly, so I
nibbled afore I took the bait. Had four years' trial of her first, and
finding that she had plenty of ballast, I sailed her as my own."

"How do you mean by plenty of ballast?"

"I don't mean, Mr Simple, a broad bow and square hulk. You know very
well that if a vessel has not ballast, she's bottom up in no time. Now,
what keeps a woman stiff under her canvas is her modesty."

"Very true. Swinburne; but it's a rare commodity on the beach."

"And why, Mr Simple? because liquor is more valued. Many a good man
has found it to be his bane; and as for a woman, when once she takes to
it, she's like a ship without a rudder, and goes right before the wind
to the devil. Not that I think a man ought not to take a nor-wester or
two, when he can get them. Rum was not given by God Almighty only to
make the niggers dance, but to make all our hearts glad; neither do I
see why a woman is to stand out neither; what's good for Jack can't hurt
Poll; only there is a medium, as they say, in all things, and
half-and-half is quite strong enough."

"I should think it was," replied I, laughing.

"But don't be letting me prevent you from keeping a look-out, Mr
Simple.--You Hoskins, you're half a point off the wind. Luff you may.--
I think, Mr Simple, that Captain O'Brien didn't pick out the best man,
when he made Tom Alsop a quarter-master in my place."

"Why, he is a very steady, good man, Swinburne."

"Yes, so he is; but he has natural defects, which shouldn't be
overlooked."

"I was not aware of that."

"No, but I was. Alsop wants to sarve out his time for his pension, and
when he has sarved, you see if, when the surgeons examine him, they
don't invalid him, as blind as a bat. I should like to have him as
gunner's mate, and that's just what he's fit for. But, Mr Simple, I
think we shall have some bad weather. The moon looks greasy, and the
stars want snuffing. You'll have two reefs in the topsails afore
morning. There's five bells striking. Now, I'll turn in; if I didn't
keep half the first, and half the morning watch, I shouldn't sleep all
the night. I miss my regular watch very much, Mr Simple--habit's every
thing--and I d