d.

"What's the name of the sisters?"

"Seaward."

"Seaward! eh!" exclaimed the captain in surprise. "That's odd, now,
that a seafarin' man should be sent to seaward for his lodgin's, even
when he gets on shore. Ha! ha! I've always had a leanin' to seaward.
I'll try the sisters. They can only tell me to 'bout ship, you know,
and be off on the other tack."

And again the captain gave such boisterous vent to his mirth that the
green-grocer's cat got up and walked indignantly away, for, albeit well
used to the assaults of small boys, it apparently could not stand the
noise of this new and bass disturber of the peace.

Having ascertained that the Misses Seaward dwelt above the shop in which
he stood, Captain Bream went straight up-stairs and rapped heavily at
their door.

Now, although the sisters had been gradually reduced to the extreme of
poverty, they had hitherto struggled successfully against the necessity
of performing what is known as the "dirty work" of a house. By stinting
themselves in food, working hard at anything they succeeded in getting
to do, and mending and re-mending their garments until it became
miraculous, even to themselves, how these managed to hang together, they
had, up to that period in their history, managed to pay to a slender
little girl, out of their slender means, a still more slender salary for
coming night and morning to clean their grate, light their fire, carry
out their ashes, brush their boots, wash their door-steps, and otherwise
perform work for which the sisters were peculiarly unfitted by age,
training, and taste. This girl's name was Liffie Lee. She was good as
far as she went but she did not go far. Her goodness was not the result
of principle. She had no principle; did not know what the word meant,
but she had a nature, and that nature was soft, unselfish,
self-oblivious,--the last a blessing of incalculable price!

It was Liffie Lee who responded to Captain Bream's knock. She was at
the time about to leave the house in undisturbed possession of its
owners--or rather, occupiers.

"Does a Miss Seaward live here?"

It was a dark passage, and Liffie Lee almost quaked at the depth and
metallic solemnity of the voice, as she glanced up at the spot where it
appeared to come from.

"Yes, sir."

"May I see her?"

"I--I'll see, sir, if you'll wait outside, sir."

She gently yet quickly shut the door in the captain's face, and next
moment appeared in the little