tate o' slumber
at no time."

This reply had the effect of slightly damaging the small boy's character
for simplicity in Katie's mind, although it caused both herself and her
companion to laugh.

"Well, Billy," she said, opening her card-case, "here is my card--give
it to your sick brother, and when he sends it to me with his address
written on the back of it I'll call on him."

"Thankee, ma'am," said the small boy.

After he had said this, he stood silently watching the retiring figure
of his benefactress, until she was out of sight, and then dashing round
the corner of a bye-street which was somewhat retired, he there went off
into uncontrollable fits of laughter--slapped his small thighs, held his
lean little sides with both hands, threw his ragged cap into the air,
and in various other ways gave evidence of ecstatic delight. He was
still engaged in these violent demonstrations of feeling when Morley
Jones--having just landed at Yarmouth, and left the sloop _Nora_ in
charge of young Welton--came smartly round the corner, and, applying his
heavy boot to the small boy's person, kicked him into the middle of the
road.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE TEMPTER AND THE TEMPTED.

"What are ye howlin' there for, an' blockin' up the Queen's highway like
that, you precious young villain?" demanded Morley Jones.

"An' wot are you breakin' the Queen's laws for like that?" retorted
Billy Towler, dancing into the middle of the road and revolving his
small fists in pugilistic fashion. "You big hairy walrus, I don't know
whether to 'ave you up before the beaks for assault and battery or turn
to an' give 'ee a good lickin'."

Mr Jones showed all his teeth with an approving grin, and the small boy
grinned in return, but still kept on revolving his fists, and warning
the walrus to "look hout and defend hisself if he didn't want his
daylights knocked out or his bows stove in!"

"You're a smart youth, you are," said Jones.

"Ha! you're afraid, are you? an' wants to make friends, but I won't 'ave
it at no price. Come on, will you?"

Jones, still grinning from ear to ear, made a rush at the urchin, who,
however, evaded him with such ease that the man perceived he had not the
smallest chance of catching him.

"I say, my lad," he asked, stopping and becoming suddenly grave, "where
d'you come from?"

"I comes from where I b'longs to, and where I'm agoin' back to w'en it
suits me."

"Very good," retorted Jones, "and I suppose you