Dialstone Lane | Page 3

had my eye on those two Chippendale chairs for years. They
belonged to an old woman in Mint Street, but she always refused to
part with them. I shouldn't have got them, only one of them let her
down the other day."
"Let her down? "repeated Miss Drewitt, sharply. "Do you mean one of
the chairs in my bedroom?"
Mr. Tredgold nodded. "Gave her rather a nasty fall," he said. "I struck
while the iron was hot, and went and made her an offer while she was
still laid up from the effects of it. It's the one standing against the wall;
the other's all right, with proper care."
Miss Drewitt, after a somewhat long interval, thanked him.
"You must have been very useful to my uncle," she said, slowly. "I feel
sure that he would never have bought chairs like those of his own
accord."
"He has been at sea all his life," said Mr. Tredgold, in extenuation. You
haven't seen him for a long time, have you?"
"Ten years," was the reply.
"He is delightful company," said Mr. Tredgold. "His life has been one
long series of adventures in every quarter of the globe. His stock of

yarns is like the widow's cruse. And here he comes," he added, as a
dilapidated fly drew up at the house and an elderly man, with a red,
weatherbeaten face, partly hidden in a cloud of grey beard, stepped out
and stood in the doorway, regarding the girl with something almost
akin to embarrassment.
"It's not--not Prudence?" he said at length, holding out his hand and
staring at her.
[Illustration: Prudence]
"Yes, uncle," said the girl.
They shook hands, and Captain Bowers, reaching up for a cage
containing a parrot, which had been noisily entreating the cabman for a
kiss all the way from the station, handed that flustered person his fare
and entered the house again.
"Glad to see you, my lad," he said, shaking hands with Mr. Tredgold
and glancing covertly at his niece. "I hope you haven't been waiting
long," he added, turning to the latter.
"No," said Miss Drewitt, regarding him with a puzzled air.
"I missed the train," said the captain. "We must try and manage better
next time. I0-I hope you'll be comfortable."
"Thank you," said the girl.
"You--you are very like your poor mother," said the captain.
"I hope so," said Prudence.
She stole up to the captain and, after a moment's hesitation, kissed his
cheek. The next moment she was caught up and crushed in the arms of
a powerful and affectionate bear.
"Blest if I hardly knew how to take you at first," said the captain, his
red face shining with gratification. "Little girls are one thing, but when

they grow up into"--he held her away and looked at her proudly-- "into
handsome and dignified-looking young women, a man doesn't quite
know where he is." He took her in his arms again and, kissing her
forehead, winked delightedly in the direction of Mr. Tredgold, who was
affecting to look out of the window.
"My man'll be in soon," he said, releasing the girl," and then we'll see
about some tea. He met me at the station and I sent him straight off for
things to eat."
"Your man?" said Miss Drewitt.
"Yes; I thought a man would be easier to manage than a girl," said the
captain, knowingly. "You can be freer with 'em in the matter of
language, and then there's no followers or anything of that kind. I got
him to sign articles ship-shape and proper. Mr. Tredgold recommended
him."
"No, no," said that gentleman, hastily.
"I asked you before he signed on with me," said the captain, pointing a
stumpy forefinger at him. "I made a point of it, and you told me that
you had never heard anything against him."
"I don't call that a recommendation," said Mr. Tredgold.
"It's good enough in these days," retorted the captain, gloomily. "A man
that has got a character like that is hard to find."
"He might be artful and keep his faults to himself," suggested Tredgold.
"So long as he does that, it's all right," said Captain Bowers. "I can't
find fault if there's no faults to find fault with. The best steward I ever
had, I found out afterwards, had escaped from gaol. He never wanted to
go ashore, and when the ship was in port almost lived in his pantry."
"I never heard of Tasker having been in gaol," said Mr. Tredgold.
"Anyhow, I'm certain that he never broke out of one; he's far too

stupid."
As he paid this tribute the young man referred to entered laden with
parcels, and, gazing awkwardly at the company, passed through the
room on tiptoe and began to busy himself in the pantry. Mr.