. Robson, and what charming
pictures!"

"They are my husband's painting," Mrs. Robson said quietly. "He was an
artist."

"Oh! I know the name," Mrs. Godstone said. "I have four of Mr. Robson's
pictures in my drawing-room. I am very fond of marine subjects."

This served as an introduction, and for half an hour the conversation
proceeded briskly. Then Mrs. Godstone rose.

"My husband's leg is very painful this morning," she said, "and I fear
that he will have to keep his bed for the next two or three days. When
he is well enough to lie down on the sofa I will come down and fetch
your son, for Mr. Godstone is of course anxious to see him, and I am
afraid that if I do not come round myself we shall not get Jack to the
inn."

"Well, that was not so very bad, was it, Jack?" Mrs. Robson asked after
her visitors had left.

"No, mother, it wasn't. You see, it was ever so much better their coming
here than it would have been if I had gone to the inn, because there was
you for them to talk to, so that really there was not much said to me.
If it had been at the inn there would have been nothing to talk about at
all, except about the wreck. Well, now that is over I will go down and
see how the bawley is; but I had best change my things first. Uncle was
going to get her up as high as he could at the top of the tide, so as to
be able to look at her keel."

Jack found that his uncle and Tom had turned out at three o'clock in the
morning, and had got the _Bessy_ as high up as possible on the sloping
shore, just beyond the houses. They were standing beside her now, while
Benting, the local boat-builder, was examining her bottom.

"Well, Jack, you have taken it out in sleep this morning," his uncle
said.

"That I have, uncle. I never woke until eight o'clock, so I had just
twelve hours' sleep."

"Nothing like a good sleep, Jack, when you have had a hard day's work;
and yesterday was enough to take it out of anyone."

"Is she damaged at all?" Jack asked.

"Yes, her forefoot is sprung just where it joins the keel; she came down
just on the joint."

"That will be a rather nasty job to get right, won't it?"

"Yes, Jack, Benting says she must have a new stem altogether. He does
not think the keel is damaged, but the stem is cracked right through."

"That will cost a lot, won't it?" Jack said.

"Yes, it is a nasty job, Jack; because, of course, she will want a lot
of fresh planks in her. In fact, she will want pretty well