."

"He must be a sailor-boy, from his answer," rejoined the captain. "Open
the door o' my cabin, lass, and I'll carry it right in. It's somewhat
heavy."

He lifted the chest, which was within an eighth of an inch of being too
large to pass through the little door-way, and put it in a corner, after
which he entered the parlour, and sat down in a solid wooden chair which
he had supplied to the establishment for his own special use.

"You see," he had said, on the day when he introduced it, "I've come to
grief so often in the matter of chairs that I've become chary as to how
I use 'em. If all the chairs that I've had go crash under me was put
together they'd furnish a good-sized house. Look before you leap is a
well-known proverb, but, look before you sit down, has become a more
familiar experience to me through life. It's an awkward thing bein' so
heavy, and I hope you'll never know what it is, ladies."

Judging from their appearance just then there did not seem much prospect
of that!

"Now," continued the captain, rubbing his hands and looking benignantly
at Jessie, "I have settled the matter at last; fairly said good-bye to
old Ocean, an' fixed to cast anchor for good on the land."

"Have you indeed, captain?" said Jessie, "I should fancy that you must
feel rather sorry to bid farewell to so old a friend."

"That's true, Miss Seaward. An old and good friend the sea has been to
me, thank God. But I'm gettin' too old myself to be much of a friend to
_it_, so I've fixed to say good-bye. And the question is, Am I to stop
on here, or am I to look out for another lodgin'? You see I've been a
good many weeks with you now, an' you've had a fair taste of me, so to
speak. I know I'm a rough sort o' fish for the like o' you to have to
do with, and, like some o' the hermit crabs, rather too big for my
shell, so if you find me awkward or uncomfortable don't hesitate to say
so. I won't be surprised, though I confess I should be sorry to leave
you."

"Well, Captain Bream," said Kate, who was generally the speaker when
delicate, difficult or unpleasant subjects had to be dealt with, "since
you have been so candid with us we will be equally candid with you.
When you first came to us, I confess that we were much alarmed; you
seemed--so very big," (the captain tried to shrink a little--without
success--and smiled in a deprecating manner), "and our rooms and
furniture seemed so very small and delicate, so to speak; and