ews," cried Robin, applying himself to the
viands on the table with renewed zest. "You cannot have the smallest
objection or anxiety, mother, I should think, when you know I shall be
under so able a guide."

"I have not yet thought it over, Robin."

"And you, father?"

"Go, my boy, and my blessing go with you," said Mr Wright, all but
choking the blessing with a huge oyster.

"Are any labourers to go with us?" asked Robin.

"One or two picked ones."

"Then you must allow me to pick one, Sam. My friend Jim Slagg is at
present cast adrift with a considerable part of the Great Eastern's
crew. He will be delighted to go, I know, and is a first-rate,
hard-working, willing, conscientious youth."

"He ought to be proud of having so warm a friend and advocate," said
Sam, "but I have no power to choose the men."

"O yes, you have, Sam. If you could get me appointed, you can get him
appointed; and you must, for, if you don't, I won't go."

"You are hard on me, Robin, but I'll try."

"But you have not yet told us where it is that they are going to send
you," said Mrs Wright.

"Ah! that's not fixed," replied Sam; "they are laying down lines in
Turkey; and Egypt is talked of, and telegraph to India itself is even
hinted at. All I know is that we shall be sent to the East somewhere."

"Bah! boo! Why does nobody ask for _my_ opinion on the matter?" said
uncle Rik, as he gazed at the company over a goose drumstick, which was
obviously not tender.

"Your opinion, brother," said Mr Wright, "is so valuable, that no doubt
your nephew has been keeping it to the last as a sort of tit-bit--eh,
Robin?"

"Well, uncle; come, let us have it," said Robin.

"You don't deserve it," returned Rik, with a wrench at the drumstick,
"but you shall have it all the same, free, gratis. Was this bird fed on
gutta-percha shavings, sister Nan?"

"Perhaps--or on violin strings, I'm not sure which," replied Mrs Wright
blandly.

"Well," continued the captain, "you youngsters will go off, I see, right
or wrong, and you'll get half-drowned in the sea, roasted in the East,
smothered in the desert, eaten alive by cannibals, used-up by the
plague, poisoned by serpents, and tee-totally ruined altogether. Then
you'll come home with the skin of your teeth on--nothing more."

"I sincerely hope it will be summer at the time," said Sam, laughing;
"but we are grateful to you for prophesying that we shall return, even
though in such light clothi