my heart, though I
hesitated to leave without his permission, albeit anxious to communicate
the good news to Mick. "Stop, Tom, here's half-a-crown for you and your
chum to enjoy yourselves with."

He put the money into my hand as he spoke, extracting it from his pocket
for the purpose; and, I recollect, it was a nice new bright half-crown
piece, which, though it was `melted' very soon, will never pass out of
my remembrance as quickly as it did from my possession!

Of course I thanked him before leaving; and, in going below, I halted at
the police office, to tell the master-at-arms the result of my interview
with our chief, whereat he appeared much satisfied, though he cautioned
me to continue to be a good boy and not outstay my leave.

Making my way from thence below, it didn't take me long to fetch up
alongside Mick, who almost exploded with delight on my informing him we
were to go ashore together. He pitched the piece of `gammy duff' he was
carving on his plate, which, by the way, was as hard as a brickbat, with
the raisins or `gammies' which it contained barely at signal distance
apart, right up above his head to the deck beam, where it caught on to
one of the hooks and remained a fixture.

"Bedad, Tom, ye're an anjul if ivver ther wor one," he cried, capering
about as if he were mad. "We'll hev a splindid toime of it entoirely.
Faith, Oi'll go and git me hair cut, to look like a jintlemin, afore I
says yer sisther an' yer fayther and moother!"

"I think I'll do the same, Mick," said I. "They haven't seen me in my
bluejacket rig yet, and I want to look as smart as I can too!"

Accordingly, the two of us had recourse to the ship's barber, who
cropped us both so close that it would have puzzled anybody to have
caught hold of what hair was left on the heads of either, aye even
between his thumb and forefinger.

As a boat was leaving the ship early in the afternoon, we went in her;
when, being landed at Point, we soon found our way to Bonfire Corner, I,
of course, acting as the navigator.

Dear me, no one ever saw such a homecoming in their life before as that
of mine that day!

Jenny, who was dusting a mat at the door, rushed frantically into my
arms, mat and all, my little sister hugging me as if we had really been
parted for years, instead of only for the short spell of time that had
elapsed since our separation; and my mother, who was not so
demonstrative, was quite as glad, I know, to see me; while a