at the pile of nice hot buttered toast which the cook had
expressly made for his delectation, and recounting between the mouthfuls
wonderful yarns connected with his seafaring experiences for Mary's
edification.

Joe the gardener, who had also come back to the house shortly after the
others, with the report that he "couldn't see nothing of Master Teddy
nowheres," sat in the chimney-corner, gazing at the porter with envious
admiration as he told of his hairbreadth scapes at sea and ashore when
serving in the navy. Joe wished that he had been a sailor too, as then
perhaps, he thought, the nurse, for whom he had a sneaking sort of
regard, might learn to smile and look upon him in the same admiring way,
in which, as he could see with half an eye, she regarded the stalwart
black-bearded Jupp.

Bye and bye, however, a tinkle of the parlour bell summoning the
household to prayers brought the pleasant evening to a close, too soon
so far as Jupp was concerned, although Joe the gardener did not regard
the interruption with much regret; and while Mary took off the children
to bed on the termination of the vicar's heart-felt thanks to the Father
above for the preservation of his little son, Mr Vernon wished him
good-night, trying to press at the same time a little money present into
his hand for his kind care of Teddy.

But this Jupp would not take, declining the douceur with so much natural
dignity that the vicar honoured him the more for refusing a reward, for
only doing his duty as he said.

Mr Vernon apologised to him for having hurt his feelings by offering
it, adding, much to Jupp's delight, that he would always be pleased to
see him at the vicarage when he had an hour or so to spare if he liked
to come; and, on the porter's telling him in return that he was only
free as a rule on Sundays, as then only one train passed through the
station early in the morning, between which and the mail express late at
night he had nothing to do, and being a stranger in the place and
without any relations the time somewhat hung on his hands, Mr Vernon
asked him to come up to the house after church and have dinner with the
servants, saying that he could go to the evening service in company with
the family.

This invitation Jupp gladly accepted in the same spirit in which it was
given; and then, with another hearty "good-night" from the vicar, to
which he responded by touching his cap and giving a salute in regular
blue-jacket fashion,