, so don't talk any more nonsense like that."

Mrs Potter concluded by emphatically stabbing a potato with her fork,
and beginning to peel it.

John smiled sadly and shook his head, but he was too wise a man to
oppose his wife on such a point.

"However, Tommy," he continued, "I'll not let _you_ have the same
regrets in after life, my son: God helping me, you shall have a good;
edication. Well, as I was sayin', John Rudyerd the runaway boy became
Mister Rudyerd the silk-mercer on Ludgate Hill, London, and now he's
goin' to build a noo light'ouse on the Eddystun."

"He'd do better to mind his shop," said Mrs Potter.

"He must be a strange man," observed Tommy, "to be both a silk-mercer
and an engineer."

Tommy was right: Mr Rudyerd was indeed a strange man, for the
lighthouse which he ultimately erected on the Eddystone Rock proved
that, although not a professional engineer, and although he never
attempted any other great work of the kind, he nevertheless possessed
engineering talent of the highest order: a fact which must of course
have been known to Captain Lovet, the gentleman who selected him for the
arduous undertaking.

The corporation of the Trinity House, who managed the lighthouses on the
English coast, had let the right to build on the Eddystone, for a period
of 99 years, to this Captain Lovet, who appointed Mr Rudyerd to do the
work.

It was a clear calm morning in July 1706 when the boat put off for the
first time to "the Rock," with the men and materials for commencing the
lighthouse. Our friend John Potter sat at the helm. Opposite to him
sat his testy friend, Isaac Dorkin, pulling the stroke oar. Mr Rudyerd
and his two assistant engineers sat on either hand, conversing on the
subject that filled the thoughts of all. It was a long hard pull, even
on a calm day, but stout oars and strong arms soon carried them out to
the rock. Being low water at the time, a good deal of it was visible,
besides several jagged peaks of the black forbidding ridge of which the
Eddystone forms a part.

But calm though it was, the party could plainly see that the work before
them would be both difficult and dangerous. A slight swell from the
open sea caused a long smooth glassy wave to roll solemnly forward every
minute or two, and launch itself in thunder on the weather side, sending
its spray right over the rock at times, so that a landing on that side
would have been impossible. On the lee side, however, the