e's much too young-looking. You mustn't have such a
fancy. I'll see what he wants," said the dame, going to the door.

"Please, ma'am, does Miss Flamank still live here?" asked the young
sailor.

"What do you want to say to her?" said the dame.

"I've a great deal to say to her, and I think shell know me when I tell
her who I am," replied the sailor.

"Do let him come in, Mrs Judson," exclaimed Jessie, eagerly, her heart
beating with the belief that she should hear news of Ralph.

The stranger, doffing his hat, advanced into the room and stood before
Jessie with a smile on his countenance as if expecting instantly to be
recognised. "I thought, Miss Flamank, that you'd have known me," he
said at length; "I've never forgotten you and your kindness to me.
Don't you remember Peter Puddle?"

"Oh! yes, yes; indeed I do," exclaimed Jessie, putting out her hand.
"And is the _Amity_ not lost? Is Captain Mudge still alive?"

Peter shook his head. "I wish I could say there was any chance of
that," he answered. "When the old brig went down in the dead of night,
I was left afloat on a hen-coop, which the old captain had just before
cast loose and told me to cling to, for all our boats were stove in.
And I never saw him, nor any one belonging to the _Amity_ alive again.
Next morning I was picked up by a ship bound out to the West Indies, and
I've been knocking about in those seas ever since. The captain had
taught me navigation, and, what was better still, to read the Bible; and
as I just did what that tells me to do, I got a good character aboard.
I was made third mate, and the other two dying, I became first mate for
want of a better man; though I was very young for such a charge. But I
did my best, and the captain was satisfied, and says that, as he didn't
want a better, I should sail with him again next voyage. We sailed for
home at last, bound for London; but having sprung a leak, and carried
away our fore-mast, we put into Plymouth for repairs--and that's how
I've been able to come up to see you. But I've not yet spun all my
yarn. Tell me, Miss, have you never got any letters from me?"

"No," answered Jessie, "I have not received a single letter from abroad
for three long years or more," and she sighed sadly.

"I thought 'twas so when I got no answers to three I wrote," said Peter.
"What I had to tell you was this,--that just before the brig went down
the captain made fast to the hen-coop a bag with fifty go