ok the
lady's hand, while Tom rose and heartily welcomed his old companions.

"Not a bit of it, my dear fellow," he repeated. "This, I assure you, is
my wife. Pray, dear Lizette, corroborate my statement, else our friends
won't believe me. But sit down, sit down, and let's hear all about you.
Go, Lizette, get 'em something to eat. I knew you would make your
appearance ere long. Old Thompson's letter--halloo! why what's this?
You're wet! and _who's_ this--a wet little girl?"

"Faix, ye may well be surprised, Mister Tom," said Larry, "for we're all
wet _beggars_, ivery wan o' us--without a dollar to bless ourselves
with."

Tom Collins looked perplexed, as he turned from one to the other.
"Stay," he shouted; "wife, come here. There's a mystery going on. Take
this moist little one to your room; and there," he added, throwing open
a door, "you fellows will all find dry apparel to put on--though I don't
say to fit. Come along with me, Ned, and while you change, give an
account of yourself."

Ned did as he was desired; and, in the course of a lengthened
conversation, detailed to Tom the present condition of himself and his
friends.

"It's unfortunate," said Tom, after a pause; "ill-luck seems to follow
us wherever we go."

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself;" cried Ned, "for saying so,
considering the wife you have got."

"True, my boy," replied the other, "I ought indeed to be ashamed, but I
spoke in reference to money matters. What say you to the fact, that I
am as much a beggar as yourself?"

"Outward appearances would seem to contradict you."

"Nevertheless, it is true, I assure you. When you left me, Ned, in the
hotel at Sacramento, I became so lonely that I grew desperate; and,
feeling much stronger in body, I set off for this town in the new
steamer--that in which you arrived. I came straight up here,
re-introduced myself to Mr Thompson; and, two days after--for I count
it folly to waste time in such matters when one's mind is made up--I
proposed to Lizette, and was accepted conditionally. Of course, the
condition was that papa should be willing. But papa was _not_ willing.
He said that three thousand dollars, all I possessed, was a capital sum,
but not sufficient to marry on, and that he could not risk his
daughter's happiness, etcetera, etcetera--you know the rest. Well, the
very next day news came that one of Thompson's best ships had been
wrecked off Cape Horn. This was a terrible blow,