ply, but coming on deck met Master Jones's smile
of greeting with an icy stare, and started convulsively as the skipper
beckoned him aboard.

"He's been rather neglected, Sam," said the skipper, shaking his head.

"Wot's it got to do with me?" said Sam, violently. "I tell you I've
never seen 'im afore this arternoon."

"You hear what your father says," said the skipper--("Hold your tongue,
Sam.) Where's your mother, boy?"

"Dead, sir," whined Master Jones. "I've on'y got 'im now."

The skipper was a kind-hearted man, and he looked pityingly at the
forlorn little figure by his side. And Sam was the good man of the ship
and a leading light at Dimport.

"How would you like to come to sea with your father?" he inquired.

The grin of delight with which Master Jones received this proposal was
sufficient reply.

"I wouldn't do it for everybody," pursued the skipper, glancing severely
at the mate, who was behaving foolishly, "but I don't mind obliging you,
Sam. He can come."

"Obliging?" repeated Mr. Brown, hardly able to get the words out.
"Obliging me? I don't want to be obliged."

"There, there," interrupted the skipper. "I don't want any thanks. Take
him forrard and give him something to eat--he looks half-starved, poor
little chap."

He turned away and went down to the cabin, while the cook, whom Mr.
Brown had publicly rebuked for his sins the day before, led the boy to
the galley and gave him a good meal. After that was done Charlie washed
him, and Harry going ashore, begged a much-worn suit of boy's clothes
from a foreman of his acquaintance. He also brought back a message from
the foreman to Mr. Brown to the effect that he was surprised at him.

The conversation that evening after Master Jones was asleep turned upon
bigamy, but Mr. Brown snored through it all, though Mr. Legge's remark
that the revelations of that afternoon had thrown a light upon many
little things in his behaviour which had hitherto baffled him came
perilously near to awaking him.

At six in the morning they got under way, the boy going nearly frantic
with delight as sail after sail was set, and the ketch, with a stiff
breeze, rapidly left London behind her. Mr. Brown studiously ignored
him, but the other men pampered him to his heart's content, and even the
cabin was good enough to manifest a little concern in his welfare,
the skipper calling Mr. Brown up no fewer than five times that day to
complain about his son's behaviour.

"I c