forgive me, for it ain't over civil--unless strangers should hail me, or
someone out of the common such as Miss Verity and yourself. A passing
show, sir, half the time those I carry; no more to me, bless you, than so
many sand-fleas a-hopping on the beach.--Mr. Blackmore--coast-guard
officer he is--I fetched him across early, with one of his men coming
round from the Head. And that poor lippity-lop, Abram Sclanders'
eldest.--Pity he wasn't put away quiet-like at birth!--Terrible drag he
is on Abram and always will be. Anybody with an ounce of gumption might
have seen he'd be a short-wit from the first.--I took him over; but that
'ud the opposite way about, as he wanted to go shrimping back of the Bar
so he said."

Jennifer paused as in earnest thought.

"No, not a soul to merit your attention, to-day, sir, that I can call to
mind. Unless"--with an upward look of returning intelligence--"but that
ain't very likely either--unless it should be Darcy Faircloth. I'd clean
forgot him, so I had. Cap'en Faircloth, as some is so busy calling 'im,
now, in season and out of season till it's fairly fit to make you
laugh.--Remarkable tall, Johnny-head-in-air young feller with a curly
yaller beard to him."

"That's the man!" Tom exclaimed.

He had distrusted Jennifer's show of ignorance, believing he was being
fenced with, played with, even royally lied to; but this merely served to
heighten his curiosity and amusement. Something of moment must lie, he
felt, behind so much wandering talk, something of value, purposely and
cunningly withheld until time was ripe for telling disclosure.