at Mark Strong the while.

CHAPTER TWO.

HOW BILLY WIDGEON BROUGHT A LETTER.

The man who was working so hard at the mat was a sailor of apparently
about five-and-thirty, carefully dressed in his shore-going suit of navy
blue, and carrying a very tightly-done-up dandified umbrella, which
looked as out of place in his hands as a parasol would daintily poised
by a grenadier guard.

He was a strong squarely-built fellow, with crisp black hair and close
beard, and if he had gone under a standard the height he would have
reached would probably have been five feet, the result of this being
that he had to look up at Mark Strong, who was about five feet six, and
at the maid, who was only a couple of inches less.

"Want to see my father?" said Mark, as the man continued to stare and
wipe his shoes.

"Ware sharks! Heave off, you ugly lubber! I say: will he bite?"

This was consequent upon a pattering of toe-nails upon the oil-cloth and
the appearance of Bruff, the dog, who began to walk round the visitor
and smell him.

"No, he won't bite friends," said Mark.

"Tip us your fin, then, messm't," said the sailor, holding out his hand.

"Give him your paw, Bruff," cried Mark; but the dog paid no heed, only
continued to smell the visitor.

"Wheer's the skipper?" said the sailor then, hoarsely. "You his boy?"

"Yes," said Mark, gazing enviously at a man who was probably one of
those about to sail with Captain Strong on his voyage to Singapore and
China. "I say, don't wear out the door-mat."

"Eh? No, m'lad, I won't wear out the mat. You see we don't have no
mats afloat. I say! my!"

The man bent down, as if seized with a cramping internal pain, and gave
his right leg a slap with his horny paw, whose back was as hairy as that
of a monkey.

"What's the matter?" said Mark.

"Matter! I was only larfin. My! you are like the skipper! Wheer is
he?"

"This way," said Mark, leading him to the comfortable room, where, as
soon as he entered and saw Mrs Strong, the man began ducking his head
and kicking out one leg.

Mrs Strong nodded and smiled at the man, feeling a kindly leaning
toward one of those who would be under her husband's orders for the next
six months, and perhaps his guardians in some storm.

"I'll leave you now, dear," she said.

"Oh, you need not go!" said the captain; but Mrs Strong left the room.

"Shall I go, father?" asked Mark.

"No, my boy, no. Sit down. Well, Billy, what news?"