a sort of heir-at-law. The last gave each garment a
sharp look, and prudently put his hand into every pocket, in order to
make sure that it was empty, before he laid the article on the floor.
Nothing was discovered for some time, until a small key was found in the
fob of a pair of old 'go-ashore' pantaloons. As there was the till to the
chest already mentioned, and a lock on that till, the heir at-law kept the
key, saying nothing touching its existence.

"The deceased does not appear to have been much afflicted with this
world's wealth," said the Rev. Mr. Whittle, whose expectations, to own the
truth, had been a little disappointed. "This may have been all the better
for him, when the moment of departure drew near."

"I dare say he would have borne the burthen cheerfully," put in Roswell
Gardiner, "to have been a little more comfortable. I never knew a person,
seaman or landsman, who was ever the worse for having things snug about
him, and for holding on to the better end of his cheer, as long as he
could."

"_Your_ notion of what is best for man as he draws near to his end,
captain Gar'ner, is not likely to be of the most approved nature. The sea
does not produce many very orthodox divines."

The young sailor coloured, bit his lip, cast a glance at Mary, and began a
nearly inaudible whistle. In a moment he forgot the rebuke he had
received, and laughingly went on with the inventory.

"Well," he cried, "this is rather a poorer outfit than Jack is apt to
carry! _in_fit, I suppose it should be called, as the poor fellow who
owned it was inward bound, when he brought up on Oyster Pond. You'll
hardly think it worth while, captain Daggett, to take this dunnage across
to the Vineyard."

"It is scarce worth the trouble, though friends and relations may set a
value on it that strangers do not. I see a couple of charts there--will
you hand them this way, if you please? They may have a value with a
sea-faring man, as old mariners sometimes make notes that are worth as
much as the charts themselves."

This was said very naturally and simply; but it gave the deacon a good
deal of concern. Nor was this feeling at all lessened by the earnest, not
to say eager, manner in which Daggett, as we shall now call this member of
the family, spread the chart on the bed, and began to pry into its
records. The particular chart first opened in this way, was the one
including the antarctic circle, and, of course, was that from which the
d