take their
leave. Clarke and his friend actually did depart, but Jim still had
presence of mind enough left to groan out an entreaty to Charlie and my
master that they would remain--an appeal so pathetic that there was no
resisting it.

Charlie politely handed the good people to chairs, while Jim, under
cover of preparing a second edition of breakfast, hastily arranged his
plan of defence.

"Reader," he whispered to my master, "whatever you do, keep the talk
going, old man, or it's all U P." Then turning to his relatives, he
broke out,--

"This _is_ a surprise! How are you both? Upon my word, you're looking
grandly. How kind to come and see me up here! Will you allow me to
introduce my two friends, Ensign Newcome and Mr Reader? My uncle and
aunt, gentlemen."

The uncle and aunt bowed gravely, and in a frightened sort of way, in
acknowledgment of the courteous greeting of the two young men. It was
clear they had expected to find Jim alone, and over a quiet cup of cocoa
to reduce him to a sense of his wickedness. It put them out of their
reckoning, quite, to find that, if they were to open fire at once, it
would have to be in the presence of these two gentlemanly and rather
imposing strangers. However, they were too full of their mission to
delay, and so the uncle began,--

"It will be as well, James, that I should state to you--"

"Not a word now, till you've had some breakfast," interrupted the wary
Jim. "My poor dear aunt must be simply fagged to death. Do take your
bonnet off, and come and sit here in the easy-chair. Let me make you
some cocoa; I know the way you take it, exactly. Try those chops in
front of you, sir, they are prime, as Charlie will tell you. Reader,
old man, draw in and keep us company. Well, I declare, this _is_ a
jolly family party! And what's the news down in your part of the world?
Have you had a good harvest? My uncle comes from Cornwall, Charlie."

And he gave his friend a lugubrious wink, as much as to say, "Keep it
up."

"Do you live near the sea?" thereupon began Charlie.

"Pretty near, that is, about twenty miles off," said the uncle, looking
at Charlie under his spectacles.

"My love, the gentleman will laugh at you," said his good lady. "I call
twenty miles a long way."

"I perfectly agree with you, ma'am," said Charlie, "Twenty miles is a
good distance in this little island of ours. But it's curious how
little they make of such a distance in a big coun