“I’m going to use my own judgment, Nibletts,” he said slowly. “I’ve always rose superior to the opinions of other people. There’s nobody you know would give you a ship. _I’m_ going to give you the _Foam_!” Captain Nibletts, rising from his seat, crossed over, and taking his hand, thanked him in broken accents for this overpowering expression of confidence in him. Then he walked back, and taking his whisky from the table, threw it on the floor. “I’ve had enough of that,” he said briefly. “When am I to take her over, Cap’n Barber?” “So soon as ever you please,” said his benefactor. “Old Ben’ll stay on as mate; Fraser’s gone.” Captain Nibletts thanked him again, and, clapping on his hard hat, passed hastily into the bar, his small visage twisted into a smile, to which it had long been a stranger. With the customers in the bar he exchanged remarks of so frivolous a nature in passing that the landlady nearly dropped the glass she was wiping, and then, crimson with indignation, as the door swung behind him, realised that the melancholy and usually respectful Nibletts had thought fit to publicly address her as “Gertie.” In the same high spirits the new master swung hastily down the road to his new command. Work had already commenced, and the energetic Ben, having been pushed over once by a set of goods in the slings owing to the frantic attempts of the men at the hand-crane to keep pace with his demands, was shouting instructions from a safe distance. He looked round as Nibletts stepped aboard, and, with a wary eye on the crane, bustled towards him. “Wot can we do for you, Cap’n Nibletts?” he enquired, with a patronising air. “I’m to be master,” replied the other, quietly. “_You?_” said Ben, with offensive astonishment, as he saw the death of his own ambitious hopes in that quarter. “You to be master?” Nibletts nodded and coloured. “Cap’n Barber just gave me the berth,” he remarked. Ben sighed and shook his head. “He’ll never be the same man ag’in,” he affirmed, positively; “’e went away from ’ere dazed, quite dazed. ’Ow was ’e when you saw ’im?” “He was all right,” was the reply. Ben shook his head as one who knew better. “I ’ope he won’t get no more shocks,” he observed, gravely. “It’ll be nice for you to get to sea ag’in, Cap’n.” Captain Nibletts raised his weather-beaten countenance and sniffed the air with relish. “You’ll be able to see the _Diadem_ as we go by,” continued the sorely-aggravated Ben. “There’s just her masts showing at ’igh water.” A faint laugh rose from somebody in the hold, and Nibletts, his face a dull red, stole quietly below and took possession of his new quarters. In the course of the day he transferred his belongings to the schooner, and, as though half fearful that his new command might yet slip through his fingers, slept on board.