with you? Any one with half an eye can see that you have no mind for
the ocean wave just at present. Let's come in, Scarlett--we're close
to your lodgings now--and finger the bit of gold I ha' by me as
comfortable as we please."

"You worry a fellow almost to death," said Will; but he made no further
objection, and the two went up to Will's tiny bedroom at the top of
a tall house.

They were closted together for about an hour. At the end of that time
Dent came downstairs whistling triumphantly, but with a very ugly look
about his face. He had bought a berth on board the "Good Queen Anne"
for two crisp Bank of Englandfive-pound notes, but the loss of the
money seemed to cause him more relief than otherwise.

"And don't you think, Scarlett, that you'll get the girl either," he
said to himself, "for I mean to have her for myself. And if this little
trick hasn't checkmated you, my fine lad, I'll find summut else to
spoil your bit of a game."

Upstairs Will was fingering the paper money, with a queer dazed
expression on his face.

What had he done? Given up his berth on the bonny ship, and his chance
of a voyage after his own heart--given it up, too, for Isaac Dent, a
fellow whom he was quite sure was more or less a bit of a scoundrel.
Will was honest, unsuspicious, and guileless; but even he could not
quite think the best of a man with Dent's physiognomy.

"And I care nought at all for the money," he said to himself. "Only