o,
Jeph?"

"Tommy Bogey. He found me here on the night when Long Orrick was chased
by Supple Jim."

"Strange, he never told me about it," said Bax.

"'Cause I told him to hold his tongue," replied Jeph, "and Tommy's a
good fellow and knows how to shut his mouth w'en a friend asks him to--
as I now ask you, Bax, for I don't want people know that I come here
every night."

"What! do you come here _every_ night?" cried Bax in surprise.

"Ay, every night, fair weather and foul; I've been used to both for a
long time now, and I'm too tough to be easily damaged."

"But why do you this, Jeph? You are not mad! If you were, I could
understand it."

"No matter, no matter," said the old man, turning to gaze at the
tombstone before quitting the place. "Some people are fond of having
secrets. I've got one, and I like to keep it."

"Well, I won't try to pump it out of you, my old friend. Moreover, I
haven't got too much time to spare. I meant to go straight to your
house to-night, Jeph, to tell you that I'm off to Australia to-morrow by
peep o' day."

"Australia!" exclaimed Jeph, with a perplexed look in his old face.

"Ay, the blue peter's at the mast-head and the anchor tripped."

Here Bax related to his old comrade what he had previously told to Guy.
At first Jeph shook his head, but when the young sailor spoke of love
being the cause of his sudden departure, he made him sit down on the
grave, and listened earnestly.

"So, so, Bax," he said, when the latter had concluded, "you're quite
sure she's fond o' the other feller, are ye?"

"Quite. I had it from his own lips. At least he told me he's fond of
_her_, and I could see with my own eyes she's fond of _him_."

"Poor lad," said Jeph, patting his friend's shoulder as if he had been a
child, "you're quite right to go. I know what love is. You'll never
get cured in _this_ country; mayhap foreign air'll do it. I refused to
tell you what made me come out here lad; but now that I knows how the
wind blows with _you_, I don't mind if I let ye into my secret. Love!
ay, it's the old story; love has brought me here night after night since
ever I was a boy."

"Love!" exclaimed his companion; "love of whom?"

"Why, who should it be but the love o' the dear girl as lies under this
sod?" said the old man, putting his hand affectionately on the grave.
"Ay, you may well look at me in wonderment, but I wasn't always the
wrinkled old man I am now. I was a good-look