ooney's, but in an offhand, careless
sort o' way, like them superintendent chaps as git five or six hundred a
year for doin' nuffin, an' be ready at any time to offer to give Eve a
shove in the chair. But first you'll have to take the chair to her, an'
say it was sent to her from--"

"Robert Lumsden, Esquire," said Pat, seeing that his friend hesitated.

"Not at all, you little idiot," said Bob sharply. "You mustn't mention
my name on no account."

"From a gentleman, then," suggested Pat.

"That might do; but I ain't a gentleman, Stiver, an' I can't allow you
to go an' tell lies."

"I'd like to know who is if you ain't," returned the boy indignantly.
"Ain't a gentleman a man wot's gentle? An' w'en you was the other day
a-spreadin' of them lovely shells, an' crabs, an' sea-goin' kooriosities
out on her pocket-hankercher, didn't I _see_ that you was gentle?"

"I'll be pretty rough on you, Pat, in a minit, if you don't hold your
jaw," interrupted Bob, who, however, did not seem displeased with his
friend's definition of a gentleman. "Well, you may say what you like,
only be sure you say what's true. An' then you'll have to take some
nice things as I'll get for her from time to time w'en I comes ashore.
But there'll be difficulties, I doubt, in the way of gettin' her to take
wittles w'en she don't know who they comes from."

"Oh, don't you bother your head about that," said Pat. "I'll manage it.
I'm used to difficulties. Just you leave it to me, an' it'll be all
right."

"Well, I will, Pat; so you'll come round with me to the old furnitur'
shop in Yarmouth, an' fetch the chair. I got it awful cheap from the
old chap as keeps the shop w'en I told him what it was for. Then you'll
bring it out to Eve, an' try to git her to have a ride in it to-day, if
you can. I'll see about the wittles arter. Hain't quite worked that
out in my mind yet. Now, as to wages. I fear I can't offer you none--"

"I never axed for none," retorted Pat proudly.

"That's true Pat; but I'm not a-goin' to make you slave for nuthin'.
I'll just promise you that I'll save all I can o' my wages, an' give you
what I can spare. You'll just have to trust me as to that."

"Trust you, Bob!" exclaimed Pat, with enthusiasm, "look here, now; this
is how the wind blows. If the Prime Minister o' Rooshia was to come to
me in full regimentals an' offer to make me capting o' the Horse Marines
to the Hemperor, I'd say, `No thankee, I'm engaged,' a