the new books, enter Mr Jones, Mr
Smith, and Mr Claville, of the marine corps, for cigars. Amelia comes
out to attend them--they purchase a few articles, and are talking very
loud, when three more ladies enter the shop, all for books.

It being now about three o'clock, the customers and loungers come in
fast. Captain Bridgeman saunters away in company with his brother
officers; other parties enter, who are succeeded by fresh claimants for
books or the other articles to be procured in the repository.

This demand continues till about five o'clock, when the library becomes
empty; I come home from school, my father slinks in from barracks, and
my mother and sister return to the back parlour, where they find my
grandmother, as usual, very busy with her knitting.

Such is a fair sample of what took place at our shop every succeeding
day. My mother made few bad debts, and rapidly added to her savings.
My aunt Milly still balancing between the certainty of Lieutenant Flat
and the chance of Captain Bridgeman, and I dividing my time and talents
between learning and contriving mischief.

CHAPTER TEN.

About six months after I had blown up the school of Mr O'Gallagher, the
company to which my father Ben belonged was ordered afloat again, and
shortly afterwards sailed for the East Indies, in the Redoubtable, 74.
That my mother was very much pleased at his departure, I do not scruple
to assert; but whether she ever analysed her feelings, I cannot pretend
to say; I rather think that all she wished was, that the chapter of
accidents would prevent Ben's reappearance, as she was ashamed of him as
a husband, and felt that he was an obstacle to her sister's advancement.

So one fine day Ben wished us all good bye; my mother was very generous
to him, as she could well afford to be. I rather think that Ben himself
was not sorry to go, for, stupid as he was, he must have felt what a
cypher he had become, being treated, not only by my mother, but by
everybody else, even by me, as a sort of upper servant.

It so happened, that about a month after Ben's departure, Captain Delmar
had, through the interest of his uncle, Lord de Versely, been appointed
to a ship which was lying in the Medway, and he came down to Chatham to
join her. He had no idea that my mother was there, for he had lost
sight of her altogether, and had it not been for me, might very probably
have left the town without having made the discovery.

Among other amus