led it on pretty thick, I must say; for I were four weeks out of
work and had to board at his place."

"Yes, s'help me, and ate and drank of the best, too. Oh, Father Moses,
how he did eat!" interrupted his creditor. "Look you, sir, it's only a
mean shcoundrel that voud call a pound a week too much for good vittles.
I'll put it thick on him, I will!"

"Stop that, or I'll have you turned out of the ship at once," said Mr
Jellaby, as the Jew made a dart at "Downy," who dodged behind the marine
sentry on the quarter-deck; while he repeated his injunction to the
defaulter. "Pay the man his money and let him go."

"I can't, sir. I've expended all my money in buying clothes of this
good lady here," explained Downy, pointing to the fat, old bumboat
woman. "I hadn't a stitch to my back and had to get a rig-out for the
voyage, sir."

"Yes, sir, he's 'ad three shirts, as is twelve-and-six, and cheap at the
price, too, sir," corroborated Mistress Poll Nash, with a low curtsey to
the lieutenant. "Yes, sir, and two pair of trousers for thirty
shillin', besides a hoilskin and a serge jumper; and this monkey jacket
here, sir, which makes three pun' seventeen-and-six, sir."

"Well, well, I suppose the calculation is all right," said Joe, laughing
at her volubility and the queer way in which she bobbed a curtsey
between each item of her catalogue. Then, addressing poor "Downy" he
cried out curtly, "Turn out your pockets!"

The ex-gravedigger sadly produced four sovereigns.

"Is that all the money you've got?"

"Yes, sir," replied "Downy," in a still more sepulchral tone. "Every
ha'penny."

"Then, pay this woman here, for you must have a rig-out for the voyage,"
said the lieutenant. "I'm afraid, Mr Isaacs, you'll have to wait till
your debtor returns from China for the settlement of your claim. Your
friend, the gravedigger here, will then probably have lots of loot; and,
be better able to discharge his debt."

"Ach, holy Moses!" cried the Jew, refusing with spluttering indignation
the half-a-crown change "Downy" received from Polly Nash, and which he
handed to his other creditor with great gravity as an instalment of his
claim. "He vill nevaire gome back to bay me."

"Oh yes he will," said Joe Jellaby, chaffingly, "and probably, he'll
bury you, too, for joy at seeing your pleasant face again--all for love,
my man."

Mr Isaacs, however, got furious at this and used such abusive language
both to "Downy" and the li