ssisted her to reach the deck. Miss Tipping followed, and the elder
lady, after recovering from the shock caused by her late peril, fell to
discussing the eternal subject of Mr. Robinson with the new mate.

"No, I never see 'im," said Ben, thoughtfully; "I never heard of him
till you come asking arter 'im.

"You must make up your mind he's gone," said Mrs. Tipping, turning to
her daughter, "that's what I keep telling you. I never was so tired of
anything in my life as tramping down here night after night. It ain't
respectable."

"You needn't come," said the other, dutifully. "He was last heard of on
this ship, and where else am I to look for him? You said you'd like to
find him yourself."

"I should," said Mrs. Tipping, grimly; "I should. Me an' him are to have
a little talk, if ever we do meet."

"If he ever comes aboard this ship," said the mate, firmly, "I'll tackle
him for you."

"Find out where he lives," said Mrs. Tipping, eagerly.

"And let us know," added her daughter, giving him a card; "that's our
address, and any time you're up our way we shall be very pleased to see
you, Mr.----"

"Brown," said the mate, charmed with their manners. "Mr. Brown."

"Ben," cried a voice from the wharf.

The new mate gazed austerely at the small office-boy above.

"Letter for the mate," said the youth, who was unversed in recent
history; "catch."

He pitched it to the deck and walked off whistling. There was only
one mate in Ben's world, and he picked the letter up and put it in his
pocket.

"Don't mind us, if you want to read it," said Mrs. Tipping, kindly.

"Only business, I expect," said Ben, grandly.

He took it from his pocket, and, tearing the envelope, threw it aside
and made a feint of reading the contents.

"Not bad news, I hope?" said Mrs. Tipping, noticing his wrinkled brow.

"I can't read without my glasses," said the mate, with a measure of
truth in the statement. He looked at Mrs. Tipping, and saw a chance of
avoiding humiliation.

"P'r'aps you'd just look at it and see if it's important," he suggested.

Mrs. Tipping took the letter from him, and, after remarking on the
strangeness of the handwriting, read aloud:--

"Dear Jack:--If you want to see Mr. Norton, come to 10, John Street,
Walworth, and be careful nobody sees you."

"Jack," said the mate, stooping for the envelope.

"Why it must be meant for Mr.--for Jack Fraser."

"Careful nobody sees you," murmured Miss Tipping, excitedly, a