ocks. The children
walked on, tempted by the sight of the tall masts in front of them.

'Wouldn't I like to see over some of those ships,' said Rough. Just then
a little group of sailors, looking little more than boys for the most
part, in spite of their bronzed and sunburnt skin, passed them,
chattering and whistling cheerily. They belonged to a vessel but newly
arrived from some southern port. One could see how happy they were to be
on English ground again--some of them maybe belonged to Seacove itself.

'Would you like to be a sailor, Rough?' said Alie.

Randolph hesitated.

'No, I don't think so, but I like seeing ships and hearing about
voyages.'

'_I'd_ like to be a sailor,' said Bridget suddenly. Rosalys and her
brother could not help laughing.

'What a funny sailor you'd make,' they said. And indeed it was not easy
to imagine her short, compact, roundabout figure climbing up masts and
darting about with the monkey-like swiftness of a smart little middy.

'I don't think you'd like it for long, Miss Biddy,' said Jane, the
young maid. 'I came once, in my last place, from Scotland by sea, and
though I wasn't at all ill, it was dreadful rough work. I was glad to
feel my feet on firm land again.'

'Was it very stormy?' asked all the children together. 'And how long
were you in the ship? Oh, do tell us about it, Jane.'

Jane's value rose immensely on the spot. She was not a particularly
lively girl generally, but this was quite a discovery.

'Was it a very big ship?' asked Bridget, 'or quite a teeny-weeny one,
just big enough to hold all of us like?'

'You stupid little goose,' said Rough. 'You mean a boat--a _ship_ is
never as little as that.'

'Boats and ships is all the same,' Biddy persisted; 'and I heard papa
say there was a Scotch boat to Seacove twice a week--there now, Rough.'

'Oh well--but that's only a way of speaking. Papa didn't mean a real
boat--a little boat. Now, if we could go down those steps right among
all the ships I'd soon show you the difference.'

'But we mustn't, Rough,' said Alie anxiously. 'Not without papa or
somebody big--any way we must ask leave first.'

'Well, I suppose it would hardly do for you girls,' Rough replied. 'But
of course papa would let _me_ go. He and I walked all round the docks
last night, and we should have gone to the end of the pier if----'

'Oh, that reminds me,' said Rosalys. 'Haven't we passed Pier Street?
I believe that must be it opposite. Yes, I