KATE F1FLE. 491 



stanchions*[began to shake and cross each other. She rowled, and 

 yawed about a good deal ; and it went to my heart, my lads, as 

 you may suppose, to leave her like a poor wreck with her spars over 

 her side, and ne'er a rag o' canvass to set, to settle down at leisure. 



" But off we went. I seed a good deal o' sarvice, both asea and 

 ashore, and weathered a number of stiffish gales. Fair weather to- 

 day foul to-morrow ! I was in the battle of Traffilgar, aboard the 

 Royal Sov'reign, which I had been drafted into while the Seizer lay up 

 in Gibraltar Bay, and lost my larboard eye by an unlucky shot from 

 a marksman on the poop of the Santa Anna, a Spanish 112. After 

 being away for three year more, I comes back to Plymouth, full of 

 nothing but poor Kate and her old father. With these cheerful 

 ideas and 'spectations, I landed, and bore up for her house : but, 

 good Lord ! it was painted up fine like a Chinese junk, and so 

 strangely be-plastered and transmogrified, that I scarcely know'd it 

 again. Howsomever, my hearties, I finds the forred hatch a little 

 ajar, and in I toddles, expecting that when Kate should see me that 

 she'd set up a precious sight of squalling and hugging. Well, I 

 opens the cabin-door, and what d'ye think I saw ? there sat Kate, 

 dressed up like a lady, with a thingumbob on her head, fringed and 

 fallal'd about with red and blue streamer-ends, sitting by the fire 

 a drinking tea, while the kettle was a singing away on the hob : you 

 can't think how pleasant it looked ! On the starboard side of the 

 mess-table there was an oldish-looking covey, as bluff in the bows, 

 and as heavy in the sheer as a Dutch schuyt. A sudden misgiving 

 corned slap athwart me. I stood stock still, a winking my eyes, 

 and a twiddling my thumbs ahind my back. Then a something came 

 jumping up to my heart, and up higher, and up higher, till it 

 lodged in my throat, and prewented me from giving a hail. I claps 

 my hand to my throat, and feels as if I was a-choking ; but at last 

 it all went a bubbling down again, and, with something of a spit, I 

 cleared my pipes, and managed to sing out. 



" * Hillo, Kate !' says I, ' here I am, my dear, come back again 

 to see how you and your father are a getting on. Why, you look 

 quite strange at me ! don't you know me again ? or is this a put on ? 

 What the devil are you staring at so ? I know I've lost an eye, but 

 I 'm not the worse for that ; and I don't think there 's such a mighty 

 difference in me. Who 's that rum customer a sitting in that there 

 chair ? ' 



" * I don't know you, my good man, at all,' says she, in the most 

 barefaced way that ever I seed ; * this is some mistake/ 



"'Don't know me, Kate?' says I ; 'ha! ha! ha! that's a 

 very good joke ! Blow me if I ar'n't desperate hungry : come, come, 

 Kate, fill us up a dish of your tea-water, and overhaul your galley 

 stores for something more substantial than the trumpery J see here. 

 Old gentleman, you 're welcome : you 're one of Kate's relations, I 

 suppose ? ay ! ay ! you needn't say so ; I know'd it directly I 

 corned in. Come, let 's all be jolly : Kate, my lass, run out and see 

 if you can't get us something to make a can o' flip on : I makes the 

 best flip on board the Seizer, and you shall have a treat. Ha ! ha ! 

 ha ! I feels so comfortable ! I 've got to port at last/ says I : ' blow 



