o saying he tossed off the
remainder of his grog and began making a movement, saying, as he did
so, to his somewhat quarrelsomely-disposed shipmate, "Here, I say,
Bill, come 'long down to the rendezvoos with me, and if there's nothin'
up for to-night what d'ye say to stepping round to Paddy Burke's? He's
asked us to come ever so many times, you know."

"Paddy Burke?" said the sergeant. "What! do you know him? Why, if
you're going there, I'll step so far with you."

"Well, we're bound for the rendezvoos first," said the sailor.

"All right! I can find plenty to do while you're in there."

"Then come along;" and, only stopping to exchange a few words in
passing with the landlady, out they all went, and Reuben was left
alone, a prey to the thoughts which now came crowding into his mind.

For a few minutes he sat with his arms resting on the table as if
communing with himself: then, starting up as if filled with a sudden
resolve, he went out and asked the landlady a few commonplace
questions, and finally inquired whereabouts and in what direction did
the rendezvous lie.

"Close down by the bridge, the first house after you pass the second
turning. Why?" she said: "be 'ee wanting to see anybody there?"

"No," said Reuben: "I only heard the fellows that came in there talking
about the rendezvous, and I wondered whether I'd passed it."

"Why, iss, o' course you did, comin' in. 'Tis the house with the flag
stream-in' over the doorways."

Reuben waited for no further information. He said something about not
knowing it was so late, bade the landlady a rather abrupt farewell, and
went his way.

Down the narrow street he hurried, turned a corner, and found himself
in front of the house indicated, outside which all was dark. Nobody
near, and, with the exception of himself, not a soul to be seen.
Inside, he could hear voices, and the more plainly from the top sash of
the window being a little way open. By the help of the iron stanchion
driven in to support the flagstaff he managed to get up, steady himself
on the window-sill and take a survey of the room. Several men were in
it, and among them the two he had already seen, one of whom was
speaking to a person whom, from his uniform, Reuben took to be an
officer.

The sight apparently decided what he had before hesitated about, and
getting; down he took from his pocket a slip of paper--one he had
provided in case he should want to leave a message for Eve--and rapidly
wrot