e, who did the most of the fighting, "you forget
Liffie Lee. She is no longer a mere visitor for an hour or two of a
morning, as she used to be, but a regular hired servant and we could not
leave her behind."

"I know that. It was my coming that made you hire her; and, now I think
of it, I've a right to claim at least part of her, so she can come too,
an' we'll lock up the house an' get Mr Green-grocer to look after it--
air it now and then. Come, just make up your minds. Only think, how
beautiful the blue sea will be just now, an' the sunny skies, an' the
yellow sands--I declare it makes me long to go. An' then you'll see
that pretty boy you've taken such a fancy to--what's 'is name?"

"Billy Bright," said Kate.

"Just so--Billy Bright--though I can't say that I'm over fond o' pretty
little boys. They're too often soft an'--"

"But I tell you he's as bold as a lion, and wise as a man, and tough
as--as--"

"As a beefsteak," said the captain; "yes, yes, I know all that, and I'm
quite prepared to believe that he is an exception. Well, now, it's
agreed to--is it?"

But the sisters did not at once give in. They fought on with true
feminine courage until the captain tried the effect of deep dejection
and innocent submission, when their tender hearts could stand out no
longer, and, hauling down their colours, they finally agreed to become
librarians and accompany their lodger to Yarmouth.

Then the captain left them to report the victory to his commodore, Ruth
Dotropy.

"I never had such a battle in my life!" he said to that scheming young
creature. "They didn't give in till they'd fired off every shot in
their locker. Trafalgar and the Nile were nothin' to it."

"But do you really mean to say," asked Ruth, who could hardly speak at
first for laughing, "that you intend to buy all these theological books
and set the sisters to work?"

"To be sure I do. You didn't suppose that I was goin' to tell a parcel
o' lies to help out your schemes, my dear? It has been for some months
past simmerin' in my brain that I ought to go through a small course of
education in that line. And all you have done for me is to make me go
in for it somewhat sooner, and a little heavier than I had intended in
the way of books. And there's no doubt I'll study better at the
sea-side than in London. Besides, I shall have the fishermen to try the
effects of my studies on, and you may be sure I won't let the poor
things work too h