ll for French or English, and it played an important part
in Barty's career. My sister knew it, but imperfectly; my mother not
at all--for all she tried so hard and was so persevering; it must be
learnt young. As far as I am aware, no one else knows it in England
or France--or even the world--although it is such a useful
invention; quite a marvel of simple ingenuity when one has mastered
the symbols, which certainly take a long time and a deal of hard
work.

Barty and I got to talk it on our fingers as rapidly as ordinary
speech and with the slightest possible gestures: this was _his_
improvement.

* * * * *

Barty came back from his holidays full of Whitby, and its sailors
and whalers, and fishermen and cobles and cliffs--all of which had
evidently had an immense attraction for him. He was always fond of
that class; possibly also some vague atavistic sympathy for the
toilers of the sea lay dormant in his blood like an inherited
memory.

And he brought back many tokens of these good people's regard--two
formidable clasp-knives (for each of which he had to pay the giver
one farthing in current coin of the realm); spirit-flasks, leather
bottles, jet ornaments; woollen jerseys and comforters knitted for
him by their wives and daughters; fossil ammonites and coprolites; a
couple of young sea-gulls to add to his menagerie; and many old
English marine ditties, which he had to sing to M. Bonzig with his
now cracked voice, and then translate into French. Indeed, Bonzig
and Barty became inseparable companions during the Thursday
promenade, on the strength of their common interest in ships and the
sea; and Barty never wearied of describing the place he loved, nor
Bonzig of listening and commenting.

"Ah! mon cher! ce que je donnerais, moi, pour voir le retour d'un
baleinier a Ouittebe! Quelle 'marine' ca ferait! hein? avec la
grande falaise, et la bonne petite eglise en haut, pres de la
Vieille Abbaye--et les toits rouges qui fument, et les trois jetees
en pierre, et le vieux pont-levis--et toute cette grouille de
mariniers avec leurs femmes et leurs enfants--et ces braves filles
qui attendent le retour du bien-aime! nom d'un nom! dire que vous
avez vu tout ca, vous--qui n'avez pas encore seize ans ... quelle
chance!... dites--qu'est-ce que ca veut bien dire, ce

'Ouile me sekile ro!'

Chantez-moi ca encore une fois!"

And Barty, whose voice was breaking, would raucously sing him the