llars and church plate.
There were ropes of pearls, too, and big stacks of nougat; and rubies,
and gold watches, and Turkish Delight in tubs. But I left these trifles
to my crew, and continued the search alone. For by this time I had
determined that there should be a Princess on board, carried off to
be sold in captivity to the bold bad Moors, and now with beating heart
awaiting her rescue by me, the Perseus of her dreams.

I came upon her at last in the big state-cabin in the stern; and she
wore a holland pinafore over her Princess-clothes, and she had brown
wavy hair, hanging down her back, just like--well, never mind, she had
brown wavy hair. When gentle-folk meet, courtesies pass; and I will
not weary other people with relating all the compliments and
counter-compliments that we exchanged, all in the most approved manner.
Occasions like this, when tongues wagged smoothly and speech flowed
free, were always especially pleasing to me, who am naturally inclined
to be tongue-tied with women. But at last ceremony was over, and we sat
on the table and swung our legs and agreed to be fast friends. And I
showed her my latest knife--one-bladed, horn-handled, terrific, hung
round my neck with string; and she showed me the chiefest treasures the
ship contained, hidden away in a most private and particular locker--a
musical box with a glass top that let you see the works, and a railway
train with real lines and a real tunnel, and a tin iron-clad that
followed a magnet, and was ever so much handier in many respects than
the real full-sized thing that still lay and applauded in the offing.

There was high feasting that night in my cabin. We invited the captain
of the man-of-war--one could hardly do less, it seemed to me--and the
Princess took one end of the table and I took the other, and the captain
was very kind and nice, and told us fairy-stories, and asked us both to
come and stay with him next Christmas, and promised we should have some
hunting, on real ponies. When he left I gave him some ingots and things,
and saw him into his boat; and then I went round the ship and addressed
the crew in several set speeches, which moved them deeply, and with my
own hands loaded up the carronade with grape-shot till it ran over at
the mouth. This done, I retired into the cabin with the Princess, and
locked the door. And first we started the musical box, taking turns to
wind it up; and then we made toffee in the cabin-stove; and then we ra