any-had tonspired among his ship's

gate; how the changes had come all together, one day, as it might be; zud of what a sweeping kind they were. Here was the little society of the buck parlour broken up, and scattered far and wide. Here was no audience for Lovely Peg, even if there had been anybody to sing it, which there was not, for the Captam was as morally certain that nobody but he could execute that ballad, as he was that he had not the spirit, under ersting circumstances, to attempt it. There was no chryn tan of War" in the house;-here the Captain trade his sleeve for a moment from the Midshipman's

tin to his own check:--the familiar wig and buttons of You Gills were a vision of the past; Richard Whittington was knocked on the head; and every plan and project, in connexion with the Midshipman, lay drifting, without mast or rudder, on the waste of waters.

As the Captain, with a dejected face, stood revolving these thous, and polishing the Midshipman, partly in the fend mess of old acquaintance, and partly in the absence of mind, a knocking at the shop-door communicated a fel start to the frame of Rob the Grinder, scated on the voter, whose tare eyes had been intently fixed on the in's fare, m who had been debating within himself,

Aid Captain Cuttle, softly.

okles, Captain," answered Rob the Grinder. 'ished and guilty air, immediately

The Captain, with an

don tiptoe to the

tie parlour and locked himself in. ning the door, would have parleyed with the visitor doreshold of the visitor had come in female guise; but

the male sex, and Rob's orders only

, Rob held the door open and allowed it i did very quickly, glad to get out of the

MR. TOOTS INTRODUCES HIMSELF.

27

"A job for Burgess and Co. at any rate,” said the visitor, looking over his shoulder compassionately at his own legs, which were very wet and covered with splashes. "Oh, howde-do, Mr. Gills?"

The salutation was addressed to the Captain, now emerging from the back parlour with a most transparent and utterly futile affectation of coming out by accident.

"Thankee," the gentleman went on to say in the same breath; "I'm very well indeed, myself, I'm much obliged to you. My name is Toots,-Mister Toots."

The Captain remembered to have seen this young gentleman at the wedding, and made him a bow. Mr. Toots replied with a chuckle; and being embarrassed, as he generally was, breathed hard, shook hands with the Captain for a long time, and then falling on Rob the Grinder, in the absence of any other resource, shook hands with him in a most affectionate and cordial manner.

"I say; I should like to speak a word to you, Mr. Gills, if you please," said Toots at length, with surprising presence of mind. "I say! Miss D. O. M. you know!"

The Captain, with responsive gravity and mystery, immediately waved his hook towards the little parlour, whither Mr. Toots followed him.

“Oh! I beg your pardon though," said Mr. Toots, looking up in the Captain's face as he sat down in a chair by the fire, which the Captain placed for him; "you don't happen to know the Chicken at all; do you, Mr. Gills?"

"The Chicken?" said the Captain.

"The Game Chicken," said Mr. Toots.

The Captain shaking his head, Mr. Toots explained that the man alluded to was the celebrated public character who had covered himself and his country with glory in his contest with the Nobby Shropshire One; but this piece of information did not appear to enlighten the Captain very much.

"Because he's outside: that's all," said Mr. Toots. "But it's of no consequence; he won't get very wet, perhaps."

"I can pass the word for him in a moment," said the Captain.

"Well, if you would have the goodness to let him sit in the shop with your young man," chuckled Mr. Toots, "I should be glad; because, you know, he's easily offended, and the damp's rather bad for his stamina. I'll call him in, Mr. Gills."

With that, Mr. Toots repairing to the shop-door, sent a peculiar whistle into the night, which produced a stoical gentleman in a shaggy white great-coat and a flat-brimmed hat, with very short hair, a broken nose, and a considerable tract of bare and sterile country behind each ear.

"Sit down, Chicken," said Mr. Toots.

The compliant Chicken spat out some small pieces of straw on which he was regaling himself, and took in a fresh supply from a reserve he carried in his hand.

"There an't no drain of nothing short handy, is there?" said the Chicken, generally. "This here sluicing night is hard lines to a man as lives on his condition."

Captain Cuttle proffered a glass of rum, which the Chicken, throwing back his head, emptied into himself, as into a cask, after proposing the brief sentiment, "Towards us!" Mr. Toots and the Captain returning then to the parlour, and taking their seats before the fire, Mr. Toots began: "Mr. Gills-"

"Awast!" said the Captain. "My name's Cuttle.” Mr. Toots looked greatly disconcerted, while the Captain proceeded gravely.

66

Cap'en Cuttle is my name, and England is my nation, this here is my dwelling-place, and blessed be creation-Job," said the Captain, as an index to his authority.

"Oh! I couldn't see Mr. Gills, could I?" said Mr. Toots; "because-"

"If you could see Sol Gills, young gen'l'm'n," said the Captain, impressively, and laying his heavy hand on Mr. Toots's knee, "old Sol, mind you-with your own eyes-as