u--why, she be damned well manned, that's all."

Newton laughed and turned to his father.

"Well, father, how are you?--have you been quite well? And how do you
like your berth here?"

"Why, Newton, I get on much better than I did at Bristol."

"It be Liverpool he mean, Mr Newton; but your good father be a little
damaged in his upper works; his memory-box is like a sieve.--Come, Bill,
we be two too many. When father and son meet after a India voyage,
there be much to say as wants no listeners.--Good-bye, Mr Forster; may
you never want a son, and may he never want a ship!"

Newton smiled his thanks to the considerate old pensioners, as they
stumped out of the door, and left him alone with his father. The
communications of Nicholas were as concise as usual. He liked his
situation, liked his company, had as much work as he wished for, and had
enjoyed good health. When Newton entered upon pecuniary matters, which
he was the sooner induced to do by observing that his father's coat and
smallclothes were in a most ruinous condition, he discovered, that
though the old gentleman had provided himself with money from the
bankers, during the first year, to purchase a new suit of clothes,
latterly he not only had quite forgotten that there were funds at his
disposal, but even that he had procured the clothes, which had remained
in the chest from the day they had been sent home without having been
tried on.

"Dear me! now I recollect, so I did; and I put them upstairs somewhere.
I was busy at the time with my improvement on the duplex."

"Have you seen much of my uncle, sir?" inquired Newton.

"Your uncle!--dear me, no! I don't know where he lives; so I waited
until you came back. We'll go to-morrow, Newton, or he may think me
unkind. I'll see if his watch goes well; I recollect he said it did.
But, Newton, tell me all about your voyage, and the action with the
French ships."

Newton entered into a detail, during which he perceived by his father's
questions that his memory had become more impaired, and that he was more
absent than ever. He arranged to call upon his uncle the ensuing day;
and then it was his intention, without communicating it to his father,
to make every inquiry and advertise to ascertain the fate of his mother.
This was a duty which he had long wished to repeat; but his necessities
and want of time had hitherto prevented the renewal of the task.

Early the next morning, Newton and his father went