as practically none; his rise to be
qualified master and actual mate--no "t'penny-ha'penny" position in his
eyes evidently; his anticipation of the "master extra" and the pass in
steam, which might lead to anything--the whole tale was told her in
terse, straightforward fashion, but with an art new to the modest
sailor-man, who hated brag as much as cowardice. He bragged in
self-defence, in challenge of the formidable equipment of his rival.
And how interested she was! How well she understood his case--that it
was better than the swellest training-ship to make your own way by your
own exertions, and splendid to have done so much while still on the
right side of thirty.

So much! He had done more than that--he had been a husband and father
at twenty-one. But this, his most distinguished exploit, was not
mentioned.

CHAPTER VI.

He mentioned it next day, however. He had to; for after breakfast a
letter, forwarded from Five Creeks, reached him from the baby's
caretaker--the lady of whom he stood in such undignified dread. The
sight of her handwriting paled his brown face and set his stout heart
fluttering. What did she want of him? He kept the letter unopened for
some time, because he was afraid to know, although convinced beforehand
that he did know--that, of course, it was the visit he should have paid
before coming up country. When at last he drew the sheet from its
envelope, as if it had come from an infected house, and had not been
fumigated, and cast a hurried glance over the contents, he found that
the unexpected had happened once more--the wildly unexpected.

She was going to be married. He was a "general merchant" in prosperous
business, and there was nothing to wait for--except Mr Carey's
instructions as to what was to be done with the dear little boy. She
would feel acutely the parting from him, after he had been from his
birth like a child of her own, but Mr Carey would understand that she
could not now continue her labour of love on his behalf--that she had
others to consider. But she knew of a most excellent substitute--a dear
friend of her own, who had long taken the deepest interest in darling
Harry, and with whom she was sure he would be as safe and happy as with
herself. She had expected to see Mr Carey when he arrived, to arrange
matters; she hoped he would come as soon as possible.

In the bewilderment of his mingled elation and anxieties, the young
father did not know what to do for the mo