e that he would do better by remaining at
Leigh and becoming in time master of a bawley.

In the two years that had passed she had come to have doubts as to
whether she had decided wisely. The profits of fishing were exceedingly
small, and the prospects were but poor. She knew well that her husband
had hoped that his son would follow some line that would maintain him in
his own rank of life, and she fretted at the thought that Jack would
settle down for life as a Leigh fisherman, and that Lily would probably
in time become a fisherman's wife. When therefore Mrs. Godstone told her
that her husband was ready to place Jack on board one of his ships as
midshipman, and that he would take care he had every chance of making
his way up, Mrs. Robson thankfully accepted the offer.

"The boy has always wished for a life at sea," she said; "and I am
thankful indeed that he should have such a chance of getting on. I am
most grateful to Mr. Godstone for his offer, and most gladly accept it."

"It is the least my husband can do, Mrs. Robson, considering the share
your son took in saving his life. But you must not consider that this
discharges the debt that I owe for myself and Mildred. That is another
matter altogether. Now, in the first place, I am sure you must wish
sometimes that your little girl could have an education of a different
kind to that which she can obtain here. Now, I should like to send her
to a good school where she would be well educated. We need not look
farther forward than that at present. She is only ten years old now, and
in another seven or eight her brother may be a second mate, and, with
the prospect of becoming a captain in another three or four, would like
his sister to be educated as a lady."

"You are very kind, Mrs. Godstone," Mrs. Robson said with tears in her
eyes. "But in the first place, I don't think I could bring myself to
part with her, and in the second, I do not like to take advantage of
your kindness."

"The second reason is absurd," Mrs. Godstone said decidedly. "Suppose
instead of saving all our lives your son had helped to get out anchors
and had got the ship off, he would have had his share of the salvage,
which might have come to many hundreds of pounds; and it is nonsense
because he saved lives instead of goods there should be no reward for
the service. As to your first reason, I can quite enter into it; and I
know that I should not have liked to be parted from Mildred. Therefore I