en--and there
must be plenty of work for me to do in looking after the cargo,
superintending repairs, taking care of the ship and men. I wonder at
you, father. You must either have had a shock of dotage, or fallen into
a poetical vein. What is a first mate fit for if--"

"Nigel," said Captain Roy, interrupting, "I'm the owner an' commander of
the _Sunshine_, besides bein' the paternal parent of an impertinent son,
and I claim to have the right to do as I please--therefore, hold your
tongue and listen to me."

"All right, father," replied the young man, with a benignant grin;
"proceed, but don't be hard upon me; spare my feelings."

"Well now, this is how the land lies," said the old seaman, resting his
elbows on the table and clasping his hands before him. "As Mr Moor and
I, with the stooard and men, are quite sufficient to manage the affairs
o' the brig, and as we shall certainly be here for a considerable time
to come, I've made up my mind to give you a holiday. You're young, you
see, an' foolish, and your mind needs improvin'. In short, you want a
good deal o' the poetry knocked out o' you, for it's not like your
mother's poetry by any means, so you needn't flatter yourself--not built
on the same lines by a long way. Well--where was I?"

"Only got the length of the holiday yet, father."

"Only, indeed. You ungrateful dog! It's a considerable length to get,
that, isn't it? Well, I also intend to give you some money, to enable
you to move about in this curious archipelago--not much, but enough to
keep you from starvation if used with economy, so I recommend you to go
into the town, make general inquiries about everything and everywhere,
an' settle in your mind what you'll do, for I give you a rovin'
commission an' don't want to be bothered with you for some time to
come."

"Are you in earnest, father?" asked Nigel, who had become more
interested while the captain unfolded his plan.

"Never more in earnest in my life--except, p'raps, when I inquired over
twenty years ago whether you was a boy or a girl."

"Well, now, that _is_ good of you, father. Of course I need not say
that I am charmed at the prospect you open up to me. And--and when may
I start?"

"At once. Up anchor and away to-night if you choose."

"But--where?"

"Anywhere--everywhere, Java, Sumatra, Borneo--all Malaysia before you
where to choose. Now be off, and think over it, for I've got too much
to do to waste time on you at pres