"It must ha' been nice for the captain to 'ave you with 'im to-day,"
remarked Ann, carelessly.

"It was," said Mr. Wilks, pausing with the glass at his lips and eyeing
her sternly. "Eighteen years I've bin with 'im--ever since 'e 'ad a
ship. 'E took a fancy to me the fust time 'e set eyes on me."

"Were you better-looking then, Sam?" inquired Miss Nugent, shuffling
closer to him on the table and regarding him affectionately.

"Much as I am now, Miss," replied Mr. Wilks, setting down his glass and
regarding Ann's giggles with a cold eye.

Miss Nugent sighed. "I love you, Sam," she said, simply. "Will you have
some more beer?"

Mr. Wilks declined gracefully. "Eighteen years I've bin with the cap'n,"
he remarked, softly; "through calms and storms, fair weather and foul,
Samson Wilks 'as been by 'is side, always ready in a quiet and 'umble way
to do 'is best for 'im, and now--now that 'e is on his beam-ends and lost
'is ship, Samson Wilks'll sit down and starve ashore till he gets
another."

At these touching words Miss Nugent was undisguisedly affected, and
wiping her bright eyes with her pinafore, gave her small, well-shaped
nose a slight touch _en passant_ with the same useful garment, and
squeezed his arm affectionately.

"It's a lively look-out for me if father is going to be at home for
long," remarked Master Nugent. Who'll get his ship, Sam?"