ected Mrs. Vickers. "'Pon my
soul, ma'am, some of them have mixed in good society, I can tell you.
There's pickpockets and swindlers down below who have lived in the best
company."

"Dreadful wretches!" cried Mrs. Vickers, shaking out her skirts. "John,
I will go on deck."

At the signal, the party rose.

"Ecod, Pine," says Captain Blunt, as the two were left alone together,
"you and I are always putting our foot into it!"

"Women are always in the way aboard ship," returned Pine.

"Ah! Doctor, you don't mean that, I know," said a rich soft voice at his
elbow.

It was Sarah Purfoy emerging from her cabin.

"Here is the wench!" cries Blunt. "We are talking of your eyes, my
dear." "Well, they'll bear talking about, captain, won't they?" asked
she, turning them full upon him.

"By the Lord, they will!" says Blunt, smacking his hand on the table.
"They're the finest eyes I've seen in my life, and they've got the
reddest lips under 'm that--"

"Let me pass, Captain Blunt, if you please. Thank you, doctor."

And before the admiring commander could prevent her, she modestly swept
out of the cuddy.

"She's a fine piece of goods, eh?" asked Blunt, watching her. "A spice
o' the devil in her, too."

Old Pine took a huge pinch of snuff.

"Devil! I tell you what it is, Blunt. I don't know where Vickers picked
her up, but I'd rather trust my life with the worst of those ruffians
'tween decks, than in her keeping, if I'd done her an injury."

Blunt laughed.

"I don't believe she'd think much of sticking a man, either!" he said,
rising. "But I must go on deck, doctor." Pine followed him more slowly.
"I don't pretend to know much about women," he said to himself, "but
that girl's got a story of her own, or I'm much mistaken. What brings
her on board this ship as lady's-maid is more than I can fathom." And
as, sticking his pipe between his teeth, he walked down the now deserted
deck to the main hatchway, and turned to watch the white figure gliding
up and down the poop-deck, he saw it joined by another and a darker one,
he muttered, "She's after no good, I'll swear."

At that moment his arm was touched by a soldier in undress uniform, who
had come up the hatchway. "What is it?"

The man drew himself up and saluted.

"If you please, doctor, one of the prisoners is taken sick, and as the
dinner's over, and he's pretty bad, I ventured to disturb your honour."

"You ass!" says Pine--who, like many gruff men, had a go