etire from his presence with its tail
between its legs. When we say that Captain Bream's eyes were kind eyes,
and that the smile of his large mouth was a winning smile, we have
sketched a full-length portrait of him,--or, as painters might put it,
an "extra-full-length."

Well, when Captain Bream, having mown his chin, presented himself in
public, on the morning of the particular day of which we write, he
appeared to be in a meditative mood, and sauntered slowly, with the
professional gait of a sailor, through several narrow streets near
London Bridge. His hands were thrust into his coat-pockets, and a half
humorous, half perplexed expression rested on his face. Evidently
something troubled him, and he gave vent to a little of that something
in deep tones, being apt to think aloud as he went along in disjointed
sentences.

"Very odd," he murmured, "but that girl is always after some queer--
well, no matter. It's my business to--but it does puzzle me to guess
why she should want me to live in such an out-o'-the-way--however, I
suppose _she_ knows, and that's enough for me."

"Shine yer boots, sir?" said a small voice cutting short these broken
remarks.

"What?"

"Shine yer boots, sir, an' p'raps I can 'elp yer to clear up yer mind
w'en I'm a doin' of it."

It was the voice of a small shoeblack, whose eyes looked wistful.

The captain glanced at his boots; they wanted "shining" sadly, for the
nautical valet who should have attended to such matters had neglected
his duty that morning.

"Where d'ee live, my lad?" asked the captain, who, being large-hearted
and having spent most of his life at sea, felt unusual interest in all
things terrestrial when he chanced to be on shore.

"I live nowheres in par-tickler," answered the boy.

"But where d'ee sleep of a night?"

"Vell, that depends. Mostly anywheres."

"Got any father?"

"No, sir, I hain't; nor yet no mother--never had no fathers nor mothers,
as I knows on, an' wot's more, I don't want any. They're a chancey lot,
is fathers an' mothers--most of 'em. Better without 'em altogether, to
my mind. Tother foot, sir."

Looking down with a benignant smile at this independent specimen of
humanity, the captain obeyed orders.

"D'ee make much at this work now, my lad?" asked the captain.

"Not wery much, sir. Just about enough to keep soul an' body together,
an' not always that. It was on'y last veek as I was starvin' to that
extent that my soul very n