en eyes glaring out at the door. They give the 'ouse a bad
name, sir; everyone."

"H'm," said my uncle. "What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?"

"A tall man, with a beard," I answered. I thought it wrong to mention
that I knew the beard to be false. "He's always stroking the bridge of
his nose with his hand."

"Ha," my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. "But with a beard,
you tell me?"

"Yes, sir. With a beard."

"H'm," he answered, musing, "I must have a look at this Mr. Jermyn.
Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with him, till I
know a little more of what he is. You understand?"

"Yes, uncle."

"One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the
streets, Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you that
before."

"Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go into the
street? I'm used to boats."

"Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, mind."

"Beg pardon, sir," Ephraim put in. "The fall at the Bridge is very
risky, sir."

"It is?" said my uncle, testily. "Then of course you can't go in a boat,
Martin. You must play in the garden, or read."

CHAPTER II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN

I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. Though
I had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him perhaps as much
as he disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) at having a boy in the
house, after many years of quiet alone with my uncle. I know that when
he had occasion to speak to me, he always went away muttering about my
being a charity brat who ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most
servants, he vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of
his about the river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of rebellion.
I would go on the river, I said to myself, fall or no fall. I would see
more of Mr. Jermyn, too. I would find out what went on in that house. I
would find out everything. In all this, of course, I was very wrong,
but having made sure that I was being treated unjustly I felt that I was
only doing right in rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the
pantry, washing up the dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down
the garden to the boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had feared;
but with an old hammer-head I managed to pry off the staple. I felt like
a burglar when the lock came off in my hand. I felt that I was acting
deceitfully. Then the thought of Ephra