here, Dick; you have now, I
suppose, a clear income of twelve thousand a year?"

"Yes, somewhere about that."

"And you want to fool it all away?"

"Not I."

"Well, there was a specimen. You gave that fellow a shilling for
brushing your coat that was not dirty."

"Poor devil, yes! He tried to earn it honestly, and we don't get such
luxuries at sea."

"As honestly as Van earned forty sovs. of you after we left Tatt's
yesterday."

"Don't understand you, Franky," said Trevor, with a twinkle of the eye,
as he allowed himself to be caught by a shoeblack, and placed a slightly
soiled boot upon his stand.

"Tut!" ejaculated Pratt. "There you go again. What a fellow you are,
Dick! What I meant was that horse of his. You gave him a cheque for a
hundred for it."

"Yes, I did, Franky."

"He gave sixty for it last week."

Trevor winced slightly, and said quietly--

"Dealer's profit; and he understands horses. Try another cigar, Frank."

Pratt took another cigar, lit it, and said, quietly--

"Now look here, Dick, old fellow, I'm afraid I'm going to be a great
nuisance to you. You're so easy-going, that with this money of yours--
to use your sea-going terms--you'll be all amongst the sharks; every one
will be making a set at you. 'Pon my soul, I've been miserable ever
since I won that four pound ten. The best thing we can do is to see one
another seldom, for if I stay with you I shall always be boring you
about some foolish bit of extravagance, and getting into hot water with
the friends who take a fancy to you."

"My dear Frank," said Trevor, smoking away in the most unruffled
fashion, "you will oblige me very much by letting that be the
clearing-up shower as far as talk of leaving me is concerned. It is
quite right. Here have I been to sea, middy and man, for twelve years;
and now I come back to England a great helpless baby of a fellow, game
for everybody. You think I'm a fool. Well, I am not over-wise; but my
first act ashore here was the looking-up of a tried old schoolfellow,
whose purse I've often shared, and who never once left me in the lurch--
and," he added, slowly and meaningly, "who never will leave me in the
lurch. Am I right?"

Frank Pratt turned one sharp, quick flash upon the speaker, and that was
enough.

"Thanky, sir," cried the shoeblack, spinning up the sixpence he had
received.

The friends turned towards one of the omnibuses about to make a start
for the course.

"Beg