immons's. The kind widow was willing to give us shelter, and as
Mary had fortunately my savings in her pocket, we had sufficient to pay
for our food for some days. The next morning Mary went as usual to
school; Nancy left the house, saying that she was going to look for
work, and I set out, hoping to find employment in a wherry with one of
the men who knew me.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

HELP COMES WHEN LEAST EXPECTED.

I found it more difficult to obtain employment with wages sufficient to
support Mary and me, not to speak of Nancy, than I had expected. Jim
and I tried to hire a boat, but we could not obtain one to suit us for
any sum we could hope to pay. Ours, for so we still called her, had
been carried off, and locked up in a shed at Portsmouth. He and I
picked up a sixpence or a shilling now and then, but some days we got
nothing. There was a great risk of our becoming what my father had so
strongly objected to "long-shore loafers." I would not desert Jim, who
had served me so faithfully, and so we tried, as far as we could, to
work together. Sometimes he talked of going off to sea, but as I could
not leave Mary his heart failed him at the thought of going without me.
At the time appointed I called on Lawyer Chalk.

"Sorry to say we are beaten, my lad," were the words with which he
greeted me. "I fought hard, but there's no doubt that Mr Gull's client
is the nephew of Tom Swatridge, who died intestate, consequently his
nephew is his heir. Had the old man wisely come to me I would have
drawn up a will for him, securing his property to you or any one he
might have desired. I am very sorry for you, but law is law, and it
can't be helped. I hope that you will find employment somewhere soon.
Good-day to you." And he waved me out of his office.

In consequence of his failure in my cause, Lawyer Chalk sank
considerably in the estimation of Bob Fox and his friends, who declared
that the next time they wanted legal advice they would try what Lawyer
Gull could do for them. I should have said that a day or two before he
had sent a clerk armed with due authority to accompany Nancy and Mary,
who brought away our clothing and all the articles which we had
purchased with our own money. Curiously enough, I did not again set
eyes on Mr Eben Swatridge, who was, I understood, the son of a younger
brother of old Tom, who had gone into business in London and made money.
Some property having been left to the two brothers,