Frenchmen turned and left us."

Clubbe marked a pause in his narrative by a glass of claret taken at
one draught like beer.

"Skipper was a Farlingford man, name of Doy," he continued. "Long
as he lived he was pestered by inquiries from the French government
respecting a Dieppe fishing-smack supposed to have been picked up
abandoned at sea. He had picked up no fishing-smack, and he
answered no letters about it. He was an old man when it happened,
and he died at sea soon after my indentures expired. The woman and
child were brought here, where nobody could speak French, and, of
course, neither of them could speak any English. The boy was white-
faced and frightened at first, but he soon picked up spirit. They
were taken in and cared for by one and another--any who could afford
it. For Farlingford has always bred seafaring men ready to give and
take."

"So we were told yesterday by the rector. We had a long talk with
him in the morning. A clever man, if--"

Dormer Colville did not complete the remark, but broke off with a
sigh. He had no doubt seen trouble himself. For it is not always
the ragged and unkempt who have been sore buffeted by the world, but
also such as have a clean-washed look almost touching sleekness.

"Yes," said Clubbe, slowly and conclusively. "So you have seen the
parson."

"Of course," Colville remarked, cheerfully, after a pause; for we