If you stay you'll be nabbed, as sure as my name is Jerry
Vincent."

I thanked the old man very much for his advice, and replied that I had
no doubt, on consideration, I should follow it.

"Oh, there's a good lad! Don't be waiting and considering. There's no
good comes of that. When a thing is to be done which must be done, go
and do it at once."

"Well, I will, Jerry, I will," I answered, shaking him by the hand. I
waited at the door, and while I watched him down the street I considered
what course I would pursue. I was unwilling to tell my wife what he had
said, because I knew it would agitate her very much, and I hoped that
Jerry thought worse of Iffley than he deserved. Of course, however, I
determined to consult Uncle Kelson, and to abide by his advice. It was
a serious consideration whether I would, on the mere chance of Iffley's
being able to get hold of me, give up my occupation, in which I was
succeeding so well, and go and live, for I knew not how long, in
comparative poverty, without anything to do. I made an excuse for
stepping out of the room to talk to Jerry, and my wife did not appear to
suspect that he had had anything more to say about Iffley. As soon as
she and my aunt had gone upstairs, I told Uncle Kelson all that I had
learned. He looked graver than usual while he listened to the account.

"Well, he must be a scoundrel if he could do it!" he exclaimed at last,
clenching his fist. "Still, such things have been done, but I did hope
that no seaman would be guilty of them." He was silent for some time,
and lost in reflection. "I'll tell you what, Will," said he at last,
"you must follow old Jerry's advice. It's sound, depend on it. That
old man has more wisdom in his little finger than many a man has in the
whole of his head. Go to your work to-morrow morning, and I'll look
down in the course of the day and see your employer, and explain matters
to him frankly. He, I have no doubt, will give you leave of absence for
a few weeks, and when you come back you can work double tides. If you
stay, you see, you'll be lost to him probably altogether."

So the matter was arranged. I was rather ashamed, however, at the
thought of having to go into hiding, as it were; but still I felt that
my wife's mind would be relieved from apprehension when once I was safe
away out of Portsmouth. Uncle Kelson had a sister married to a farmer
living in the north of Hampshire, and there we resolved to go.