eplied:--

"That all he said was very true; but that I had made up my mind that, if
ever I were regularly to serve, it should be in a man-of-war, not in a
merchant vessel; that it was certainly possible that I might, after
serving many years, become a captain of an Indiaman, which was a high
position, but I preferred being a pilot, and more my own master; that if
there were no other objections, that of being absent for three years at
a time from him and Virginia would be more than sufficient, and that I
was very happy where I was, as Bramble and little Bessy were almost
equal to another father and another sister. A rolling stone gathers no
moss, they say, father. I have entered into the pilot service, and in
that I hope to remain."

"Well, you're right, Tom; Bramble said you would decide so. There's
nothing like being contented with what we are and what we have got."

"I might probably become a richer man if I were to be a captain of an
Indiaman," observed I; "but I'm sure if ever I'm able to buy a little
farm, as Bramble is now able to do, I shall think myself quite rich
enough."

"You see, Tom, it all depends upon what people's ideas are. One man
thinks himself rich with what another would think that he was a beggar.
Now I daresay old Nanny thinks that shop of old iron and rubbish that
she has got together the finest shop in all Greenwich."

"I believe she does, and the prettiest," replied I, laughing.

"Well now, Tom, an odd thing happened the other day while you were away,
just to prove how true that is. You may recollect a little old man in
our ward, Phil Nobbs they called him, who walked with his chin half a
yard before him. Well, he took to the sick ward and died, since you
have been gone. I went to see him, of course, and he was always talking
about his property; and none of us knew where it was, but we supposed
that he had it somewhere. One day, as I was sitting by his bed, he
says, `Saunders, the doctor's coming round, just tell him I want to make
my will, for I feel as if I were slipping my wind.' Well, the doctor
and the chaplain both came to his bedside with the paper, and Nobbs
raised himself on his elbow, and said, `Are you ready, sir? Well, then,
I'll make short work of it. This is my last will and testament: first,
I wish a white pall over me when I'm buried, and that expense must be
deducted, after which I bequeath to my nephews and nieces, James Strong,
Walter Strong, Ellen Strong, Ma