a small heap of potatoes and half a York
cabbage, and no gravy whatever; which, considering the usual appetite of
a seaman for fresh food at the end of a long voyage, was no small index
of the depression of his mind. Then he had waked once every night, and
on one occasion twice. While dressing each morning since the gloomy day
he had not whistled more than seven bars of a hornpipe without stopping
and falling into thought of a most painful kind; and he had told none but
absolutely true stories of foreign parts to the neighbouring villagers
when they saluted and clustered about him, as usual, for anything he
chose to pour forth--except that story of the whale whose eye was about
as large as the round pond in Derriman's ewe-lease--which was like
tempting fate to set a seal for ever upon his tongue as a traveller. All
this enervation, mental and physical, had been produced by Matilda's
departure.

He also considered what he had lost of the rational amusements of manhood
during these unfortunate days. He might have gone to the neighbouring
fashionable resort every afternoon, stood before Gloucester Lodge till
the King and Queen came out, held his hat in his hand, and enjoyed their
Majesties' smiles at his homage all for nothing--watched the
picket-mounting, heard the different bands strike up, observed the staff;
and, above all, have seen the pretty town girls go trip-trip-trip along
the esplanade, deliberately fixing their innocent eyes on the distant
sea, the grey cliffs, and the sky, and accidentally on the soldiers and
himself.

'I'll raze out her image,' he said. 'She shall make a fool of me no
more.' And his resolve resulted in conduct which had elements of real
greatness.

He went back to his father, whom he found in the mill-loft. ''Tis true,
father, what you say,' he observed: 'my brains will turn to bilge-water
if I think of her much longer. By the oath of a--navigator, I wish I
could sigh less and laugh more! She's gone--why can't I let her go, and
be happy? But how begin?'

'Take it careless, my son,' said the miller, 'and lay yourself out to
enjoy snacks and cordials.'

'Ah--that's a thought!' said Bob.

'Baccy is good for't. So is sperrits. Though I don't advise thee to
drink neat.'

'Baccy--I'd almost forgot it!' said Captain Loveday.

He went to his room, hastily untied the package of tobacco that he had
brought home, and began to make use of it in his own way, calling to
David for a b