OMES
COMMUNICATIVE.

The room to which Haco led his daughter was a small oblong one, divided
off into compartments similar to those with which we are familiar in
eating-houses and restaurants of the poorer class. It formed part of
the Home, but was used by the general public as well as by seamen, who
wished to order a meal at any time and pay for it.

Haco Barepoles, being at the time a boarder in the home, was entitled to
his dinner in the general mess-room, but being bent on enjoying his meal
in company with Susan, he chose to forego his rights on that occasion.

Being the hour at which a number of seamen, labourers, clerks, and
others were wont to experience the truth of the great fact that nature
abhors a vacuum, the room was pretty full, and a brisk demand was going
on for soup, tea, coffee, rolls, and steaks, etcetera, all of which were
supplied on the most moderate terms, in order to accommodate the
capacities of the poorest purse.

In this temple of luxury you could get a small bowl of good soup for one
penny, which, with a halfpenny roll, might form a dinner to any one
whose imagination was so strong as to enable him to believe he had had
enough. Any one who was the fortunate possessor of threepence, could,
by doubling the order, really feel his appetite appeased. Then for
those whose poverty was extreme, or appetite unusually small, a little
cup of tea could be supplied for one halfpenny--and a good cup of tea
too, not particularly strong, it is true, but with a fair average
allowance of milk and sugar.

"Waiter," cried Haco Barepoles in a voice that commanded instant
attention.

"Yessir."

"Soup for two, steaks an' 'taties for ditto to foller."

"Yessir."

"Please, father, I would like a cup of coffee after the soup instead of
a steak. I don't feel very hungry."

"All right, lass. Waiter, knock off one o' the steaks an' clap a cup o'
coffee in its place."

"Yessir. Roll with it, Miss?"

"Of course," said Haco.

"Butter, Miss?"

"Sartinly. An' double allowance o' milk an' sugar," replied the
skipper. "S'pose you han't got cream?"

"No sir."

"Never mind. Look alive now, lad. Come, Susan, here's a box with only
one man in't, we'll--Hallo! shiver my timbers if it ain't--no--it can't
be--Stephen Gaff, eh! or his ghost?"

"Just so," said Stephen, laying down his knife and fork, and shaking
warmly the hand which Haco stretched across the table to him; "I'm
always turnin' up now an