He still waited, however, rubbing his hand on his hip with mock
bashfulness. There was an instant's pause, then she divined his meaning.

She took from her pocket a shilling. She had never given away so much
money in her life before, but she seemed to feel instinctively that now
she must give freely--now that she was the wife of an officer of the
navy. Strange how these sailors to-day seemed so different to her from
ever before--she felt as if they all belonged to her. She offered the
shilling to the captain of the main-top. His eyes gloated, but he said
with an affected surprise:

"No, I couldn't think of it, yer leddyship."

"Ah, but you will take it!" she said. "I--I have a r-relative"--she
hesitated at the word--" in the navy."

"'Ave you now, yer leddyship?" he said. "Well, then, I'm proud to 'ave
the shilling to drink 'is 'ealth, yer leddyship."

He touched his hat, and was about to turn away. "Stay a little," she
said with bashful boldness. The joy of giving was rapidly growing to a
vice. "Here's something for them," she added, nodding towards his
fellows, and a second shilling came from her pocket. "Just as you say,
yer leddyship," he said with owlish gravity; "but for my part I think
they've 'ad enough. I don't 'old with temptin' the weak passions of
man."

A moment afterwards the sailors were in the boat, rowing towards the
Narcissus. Their song came back across the water: