on't see her nowhere about."

Mrs. Bunker stamped her foot, and, with a terrible glance at the men,
descended to the cabin. From this coign of vantage she obstinately
refused to budge, and sat in angry seclusion until the vessel reached
Ipswich late in the evening. Then she appeared on deck, dressed for
walking, and, utterly ignoring the woebegone Codd, stepped ashore, and,
obtaining a cab for her boxes, drove silently away.

An hour afterwards the mate went to his home, leaving the captain
sitting on the lonely deck striving to realise the bitter fact that,
so far as the end he had in view was concerned, he had seen the last
of Mrs. Bunker and the small but happy home in which he had hoped to
install her.

A HARBOUR OF REFUGE

A waterman's boat was lying in the river just below Greenwich, the
waterman resting on his oars, while his fare, a small, perturbed-looking
man in seaman's attire, gazed expectantly up the river.

"There she is!" he cried suddenly, as a small schooner came into view
from behind a big steamer. "Take me alongside."

"Nice little thing she is too," said the waterman, watching the other
out of the corner of his eye as he bent to his oars. "Rides the water
like a duck. Her cap'n knows a thing or two, I'll bet."

"He knows watermen's fares," replied the passenger coldly.

"Look out there!" cried a voice from the schooner, and the mate threw a
line which the passenger skilfully caught.

The waterman ceased rowing, and, as his boat came alongside the
schooner, held out his hand to his passenger, who had already commenced
to scramble up the side, and demanded his fare. It was handed down to
him.

"It's all right, then," said the fare, as he stood on the deck and
closed his eyes to the painful language in which the waterman was
addressing him. "Nobody been inquiring for me?"

"Not a soul," said the mate. "What's all the row about?"

"Well, you see, it's this way," said the master of the Frolic, dropping
his voice. "I've been taking a little too much notice of a little craft
down Battersea way--nice little thing, an' she thought I was a single
man, dy'e see?"

The mate sucked his teeth.

"She introduced me to her brother as a single man," continued the
skipper. "He asked me when the banns was to be put up, an' I didn't like
to tell him I was a married man with a family."

"Why not?" asked the mate.

"He's a prize-fighter," said the other, in awe-inspiring tones; "'the
Battersea