ed."

"But we're a respectable house," said Susannah.

The sailorman gazed at her, long and earnest, and turned to his mate.
"Good Lord, Bill!" said he, "what a dreadful mistake!"

"Ho!" said one of the ladies, tossing her chin. "Ho, I see what it is!
The likes of us ain't good enough for the likes of her!"

"Not by a long chalk, ma'am," agreed Susannah, her temper rising.

"It's this way, ma'am," put in the sailorman very peaceable-like.
"My name's Ben Jope, of the _Vesuvius_ bomb, and this here's my mate Bill
Adams. We was paid off this morning at half-past nine, and picked up a
few hasty friends ashore for a Feet-Sham-Peter. But o' course if this
here is a respectable house there's no more to be said--except that maybe
you'll be good enough to recommend us to one that isn't."

The poor fellow meant it well, but somehow or other his words so annoyed
Susannah that she bounced in and slammed the door in his face. He stood
for a while staring at it, and then turned and led the way down the steps
again to the quay, walking like a man in a dream, and not seeming to hear
the ladies--though one or two were telling him that he hadn't the pluck of
a louse: and down at the quay the company came upon Master Nandy,
dandering towards them with his hands in his pockets.

"Hullo!" said Nandy.

"Hullo to _you!_" said Mr. Jope.

"Turned you out?" asked Nandy.

Mr. Jope glanced back at the roof of Merry-Garden, which from the quay
could be seen just overtopping the laylocks. "She's a sperrited woman,"
he said; and after that there was a pause until Nandy asked him who he
thought he was staring at. "I dunno," said Mr. Jope. "You puts me in
mind of a boy I knew, one time. I stood godfather to him, and he grew up
to be afflicted in much the same manner."

"I've been unwell," said Nandy, "and I haven't got over the effects of
it."

"No, by George, you haven't," agreed Mr. Jope. "I've heard tar-water
recommended."

"Is it worse tasted than sulphur-water?" asked Nandy, and with that a
wicked thought came into his mind, for he still nursed a spite against all
that he had suffered under Dr. Clatworthy's care. "If you can't get taken
in at Merry-Garden," said he, "why don't you try Hi-jeen Villa, up the
creek?"

"What's that?"

"It's--it's another establishment," said Nandy.

"Respectable? You'll excuse my askin'--"

"Tisn' for me to judge," said Nandy; "but they sit about the garden in
their nightshirts, with a