s True Blue had not the slightest notion what this meant, he made no
reply.

Everybody in the house was sorry to part with the frank-spoken young
sailor. Even the butler and footman begged him to accept some token of
remembrance; and Mrs Jellybag, the housekeeper, put him up a box
containing all sorts of good things, which, she told him, he might share
with his friends down at Emsworth. He reached Emsworth in the evening,
and right hearty was the welcome he received from all the members of the
Ogle and Bush families, though not more kind than that old Mrs Pringle
and Paul bestowed on him.

The whole party assembled to tea and supper at Mrs Pringle's, and he
had not been many minutes in the house before he unpacked his chest and
produced his box of good things for them. He insisted on serving them
out himself, and he managed to slip the largest piece of cake into
Mary's plate, and somehow to give her a double allowance of jam.

Then there were a couple of pounds of tea,--a rare luxury in those days,
except among the richer classes,--and some bottles of homemade wines or
cordials, which served still more to cheer the hearts of the guests.
The pipes were brought in and fragrant tobacco smoked, and songs were
called for. Paul and Abel struck up. True Blue sang some of his best,
and, as he every now and then gave Mary a sly kiss, suiting the action
to the words of his songs, he never felt so happy in his life.

Supper was scarcely over when there was a rap at the door, and a
well-known voice exclaiming, "What cheer, mates, what cheer?"

Billy sprang from his stool, and, lifting the latch, cried out, "Come
in, Sam, come in! Hurrah! here's Sam Smatch. We were just wishing for
you to help us to shake down our supper, but little thought to see you."

"Why, d'ye see, I wasn't wanted aboard, and so I got leave and just
worked my way along here, playing at the publics and taking my time
about it," said Sam.

"Not getting drunk, I hope, Sam?" asked Paul.

"Why, as to that, Paul, d'ye see, sometimes more liquor got into my head
than went down into my heels; and so, you see, the heels was
overballasted-like and kicked up a bit, just as the old _Terrible_ used
to do in a heavy sea; but as to being drunk, don't for to go and think
such a thing of me, Paul,--I, who was always fit to look after the
cook's coppers when no one else could have told whether they had beef
and duff or round-shot boiling in them."

The black's c