"I've done what I could for you," said the latter, fishing a crust from
his pocket, which Harbolt took thankfully. "I've told her all the yarns
I could think of about people turning up after they was buried and the
like."
"What'd she say?" queried the skipper eagerly, between his bites.
"Told me not to talk like that," said the mate; "said it showed a want
o' trust in Providence to hint at such things. Then I told her what you
asked me about the locket, only I made it a bracelet worth ten pounds."
"That pleased her?" suggested the other hopefully.
The mate shook his head. "She said I was a born fool to believe you'd
been robbed of it," he replied. "She said what you'd done was to give it
to one o' them pore females. She's been going on frightful about it all
the afternoon--won't talk o' nothing else."
"I don't know what's to be done," groaned the skipper despondently. "I
shall be dead afore we get to port this wind holds. Go down and get me
something to eat George; I'm starving."
"Everything's locked up, as I told you afore," said the mate.
"As the master of this ship," said the skipper, drawing himself up, "I
order you to go down and get me something to eat. You can tell the
missus it's for you if she says anything."
"I'm hanged if I will," said the mate sturdily.
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