, strolling down by the harbour to get a little appetite for
breakfast, when who should I see coming along, looking as though 'e 'ad
just come from a funeral, but Cap'n Nugent! I was going to pass 'im, but
he stopped me and asked me to take a message from 'im to 'is old and
faithful steward, Mr. Wilks."

"Why, has he gone away?" exclaimed Mrs. Kingdom.

"His old and faithful steward," repeated Mr. Smith, motioning her to
silence. "'Tell 'im,' he says, 'that I am heartily ashamed of myself for
wot took place last night--and him, too. Tell 'im that, after my
father's 'art proved too much for me, I walked the streets all night, and
now I can't face may injured son and family yet awhile, and I'm off to
London till it has blown over.'"

"But what's it all about?" demanded Nugent. Why don't you get to the
point?"

"So far as I could make out," replied Mr. Smith, with the studious care
of one who desires to give exact information, "Cap'n Nugent and Mr. Wilks
'ad a little plan for giving you a sea blow."

"Me?" interrupted the unfortunate steward. "Now, look 'ere, Nathan
Smith----"

"Them was the cap'n's words," said the boarding-master, giving him a
glance of great significance; "are you going to take away or add to wot
the cap'n says?"

Mr. Wilks collapsed, and avoiding the indignant eyes of the Nugent family
tried to think out his position.

"It seems from wot the cap'n told me," continued Mr. Smith, "that there
was some objection to your marrying old--Mr. Kybird's gal, so 'e and Mr.
Wilks, after putting their 'eads together, decided to get you 'ere and
after giving you a little whisky that Mr. Wilks knows the trick of--"

"Me?" interrupted the unfortunate steward, again.

"Them was the cap'n's words," said Mr. Smith, coldly. "After you'd 'ad
it they was going to stow you away in the Seabird, which sailed this
morning. However, when the cap'n see you overcome, his 'art melted, and
instead o' putting you aboard the whaler he took your feet and Mr. Wilks
your 'ead, and after a great deal o' trouble got you upstairs and put you
to bed."

"You miserable scoundrel," said the astonished Mr. Nugent, addressing the
shrinking steward; "you infernal old reprobate--you--you--I didn't think
you'd got it in you."

"So far as I could make out," said Mr. Smith, kindly, "Mr. Wilks was only
obeying orders. It was the cap'n's plan, and Mr. Wilks was aboard ship
with 'im for a very long time. O' course, he oughtn't to