own
mind is quite made up; still I should like to speak to them before I see
Mrs. Godstone again."

Tripper senior and Ben quite agreed with Mrs. Robson that she ought to
accept the offer.

"We shall be always glad to see you down here, Bessy, you know, whenever
you like to come; but it is certainly best for you and the young ones
for you to accept the offer. It is a grand thing for Lily; and though we
shall be very sorry to lose you, it would be awfully foolish to say no
to such a proposal as that."

At heart, perhaps Tripper senior and his son were not altogether so very
sorry that Bessy should go to London. They felt that she was now not one
of themselves; and Tripper senior, who was much more fond of his glass
than was good for him, felt her presence in Leigh as a sort of restraint
upon himself, and had often informed Ben confidentially that Bessy had
grown altogether too nice for him. When, therefore, Mrs. Godstone called
again at the end of the week, Bessy thankfully accepted her offer, and
it was settled that she should move up to London as soon as she could
find a house. She would, she knew, have no difficulty in obtaining a
tenant for her present residence; for houses were scarce at Leigh, and
one so conveniently situated would find many eager for it as soon as it
was generally known that it was to let.

Accordingly, two days after Mr. Godstone and his wife had left Leigh,
Mrs. Robson went up to town with Jack, and going down to Dulwich had no
difficulty in finding a little cottage that would suit them well, and to
this a fortnight later they moved up with their belongings. The very day
after they moved in, Jack received a letter from Captain Murchison
telling him to come down on the following morning to St. Katharine
Docks, as the _Wild Wave_ had now been purchased by Mr. Godstone, and
would at once be fitted out for sea.

At eight o'clock next morning Jack found himself alongside the _Wild
Wave_, a fine barque-rigged ship of about eight hundred and fifty tons.
A number of riggers were at work on board, and Captain Murchison was on
the poop talking to an officer, whom Jack at once guessed to be the
first mate.

"That's right, Jack," the captain said as the lad mounted to the poop;
"nothing like getting into harness in good time. We only took possession
of the barque yesterday, and have put the hands to work this morning. I
thought you had better come to work at once, because there is nothing
like lear