THE INNKEEPER AND HIS WIFE 9 



who had ventured this far from the ship and this appeared 

 to be the only inn along the single row of buildings. He 

 wondered how he would be received if he entered and 

 asked for shelter. 



As he stood there shivering and trying to choose 

 between pushing open the door or retracing his steps 

 and rejoining the ship, a man's head appeared at one of 

 the open windows above the inn sign. 



'Bless me, but look what the sea has washed up!' the 

 man exclaimed and turning his head inwards towards the 

 room he called, 'Come and see, Mrs. Mather,' whereupon 

 two pairs of curious eyes stared down at the boy. 



'Why the poor mite is shivering with the cold,' exclaimed 

 the woman. 'Come in,' she called to the boy, 'come in 

 and we will give you a bowl of hot soup.' 



The boy pushed open the door and met the woman 

 hurrying down the stairs, followed by her husband. She 

 was a short round motherly type with a rosy shining face 

 and a great mass of grey hair drawn tightly to the top of 

 her head on which rested a small white lace cap. 



'Without doubt, you must be one of those rescued by 

 the packet that has just come in,' she said. 



The boy nodded. 'Yes, Ma'am.' 



'And what is your name?' 



'Jonathan. Jonathan Oakley,' he replied. 



'Come to the fire in the parlour,' she said, putting an 

 arm round his slim shoulders and then, feeling the damp- 

 ness of the blanket that he still wore, she thrust her other 

 hand beneath its folds. 



'Bless me, your clothes are still wet,' she cried. 'That 

 good-for-nothing trading master ought to be flogged 

 letting you come ashore in such a state. Off with them 

 at once and I'll rummage out some of our Joseph's for 

 you.' 



Jonathan assumed that Joseph must be the son of these 

 kindly people and if the measurements of his clothes are 



