wn in this corner, old lady, where you can take in the beauties o'
the place all at one squint."

Almost before he had done speaking two large cups of hot coffee and two
thick slices of buttered bread lay before them.

"There you are--all ship-shape. Now drink, an' no heel-taps."

Mrs Mooney drank in dumb surprise, partly at the energy and cool
impudence of the boy, and partly at the discovery that there was more
comfort in hot coffee than she had expected.

"You've heard, in course, that the _Lively Poll_ is at the bottom of the
North Sea?" said Pat.

Mrs Mooney set down her cup with a sigh and a sudden expression of woe
mingled with reproof, while she remarked that there was no occasion to
be lighthearted on such a subject.

"That's all _you_ know," retorted Pat. "Of course we was told the
moment we came alongside the wharf this mornin', that somebody had bin
blowin' half a gale o' lies about it, but Stephen Lockley ain't
drownded, not he, an' don't mean to be for some time. He was aboard of
the _Sunbeam_ at the time his wessel went down an' all the rest of 'em,
except poor Jay an' Hawkson, an' we've brought 'em all ashore. You see
we got so damaged in a gale that came on to blow the wery next day that
we've bin forced to run here for repairs. Skipper Lockley's away up at
this here minit to see his wife--leastwise, he's waitin' outside till
one o' the parsons goes and breaks the noos to her. The skipper didn't
see no occasion for that, an' said he could break the noos to her
hisself, but the parson said he didn't know what the consikences might
be, so Stephen he gave in, an'--. Now, old girl, if you keep openin' of
your mouth an' eyes at that rate you'll git lockjaw, an' never be able
to go to sleep no more."

There was, indeed, some ground for the boy's remark, for his "noos" had
evidently overwhelmed Mrs Mooney--chiefly with joy, on account of her
friend Mrs Lockley, to whom, even when "in liquor", she was tenderly
attached. She continued to gaze speechless at Pat, who took advantage
of the opportunity to do a little private business on his own account.

Taking a little bit of blue ribbon with a pin attached to it from his
pocket, he coolly fixed it on Mrs Mooney's breast.

"There," said he gravely, "I promised Bob that I'd make as many conwerts
as I could, so I've conwerted _you_!"

Utterly regardless of her conversion, Mrs Mooney suddenly sprang from
her seat and made for the door.

"Hallo, ol