flourish of his hand as a salute—"as you are, I see her and listen to her, and admire her."
"My name's"
"I have told you it don't matter. I never yet met with a girl's name that wasn't pretty, except one, and I thought that pretty once."
"What name?"
"Admonition."
"Why do you not like it?"
The little man looked out of the window, along the walls, then turned his head round and sighed. "Never mind. Do you see that figurehead out there? It belonged to a wessel I built; she was called the Medusa. Bad luck attended her. She was always fouling other wessels. She ran down a Frenchman once, but that was no matter, and she did the same by a Dutchman. Well, at last she got such a character that I was forced to change her head and her name, but then she fared worse than before. Changing their names don't always mend wessels and women. Well!" with another sigh, "we will leave unpleasant topics, and laugh and be jolly while we may. You haven't told me how you are. This is very kind of you to drop in on me. It is like old times; my halcyon days, as I think they call 'em. I haven't had such a wisit since," he waved towards his flagstaff, "since I lowered my flag."
"But, sir," said Mehalah, "you must let me explain my purpose in coming here; and to do that, I must tell you who I am, and whence I come."
"I don't want to hear it. I don't care a bit about it. Be jolly and gather the rosebuds while you may. She ain't out for long, and we must be joyful at such opportunities as are afforded us. I know as well as you do why you have come. You have come in the goodness of your female heart to cheer a poor crippled wretch like me."
"I did not know you were a cripple, sir!"
"You didn't? Give me my crutches. Look at this." He placed his crutches under his arms, swung himself dexterously off his chair, and stumped round the room, dragging his lower limbs behind him, as though they did not belong to him. They were lifeless. When he returned
