spray.

"Sarvant, sir," he said, making dabs with his shiny sailor's hat as if
to knock the drops off. "Sarvant, young gentleman,"--this was to
Arthur, who rose and bowed stiffly--"how do, Master Dick, how do?"

Uncle Abram beamed and shook Dick's hand heartily, seeming loth to loose
it again, but he relented and turned to Mr Temple.

"You'll excuse me, sir, for coming when you're busy; but it's to help a
neighbour out of a difficulty."

"Subscription?" said Mr Temple.

"Subscription?" said Uncle Abram, dragging a great silk handkerchief
from inside his oilskin and wiping the drops of spray from his face.
"It was about your lodgings here, sir."

"My lodgings?" said Mr Temple.

"Yes, sir. You see neighbour here didn't like to speak to you 'bout the
matter, and I said I would. Fact is, four fish-buyers from London come
down here to stay with him every year regular all through the season,
and you've got their rooms."

"Oh! I have their rooms?" said Mr Temple.

"That's it, sir, that's it," said Uncle Abram; "and when neighbour let
'em to you he thought you only wanted 'em for a few days."

"And I've been here for a few weeks."

"Toe be sure," said Uncle Abram.

"And he wants me to turn out, eh?" said Mr Temple rather sternly, while
Dick's countenance fell.

"Turn out arn't the word, sir," said Uncle Abram. "We don't do that
sort o' thing to gentlemen down here in the west countree. Man to man--
give and take--do to one another as you'd like one another to do unto
you. That's our motter down here, sir. And neighbour he told me his
difficulty. `Nice gentleman, Mr Temple,' he says. `Master Arthur a
bit stiff, but Master Dick--there,' he says, says neighbour, `you know
what Master Dick be.' And I said I did, and I went home and had a chat
with my nevvy Will, and then I attacked the missus, and here I be."

"So I see," said Mr Temple rather dryly; "but really, Mr Marion, you
haven't explained yourself very clearly."

"I s'pose not," said Uncle Abram in a troubled way. "That's just like
me. I never do. Getting old, you see."

"Am I to understand that you are an ambassador from the landlord, and
that he wants us to go?"

"Well, something of that sort, sir," replied Uncle Abram, who was very
busy wiping drops from his forehead that were not spray.

"When do these fish-buyers come?"

"To-day, sir."

"To-day! Then why did he not speak sooner?"

"Waited like, sir, to see if there might be a c