After breakfast was over on the 1st of May, 1587, and they had done their lessons with their father, and had worked for an hour by themselves, the boys put by their books and strolled down the village to the bridge. There as usual stood their friend Master Lirriper with his hands deep in his pockets, a place and position in which he was sure to be found when not away in his barge. "Good morning, Master Lirriper." "Good morning, Master Geoffrey and Master Lionel." "So you are not down the river today?" "No, sir. I am going tomorrow, and this time I shall be away four or five days--maybe even a week." "Shall you?" the boys exclaimed in surprise. "Why, what are you going to do?" "I am going round to London in my nephew Joe Chambers' craft." "Are you really?" Geoffrey exclaimed. "I wish we were going with you. Don't you think you could take us, Master Lirriper?" The bargeman looked down into the water and frowned. He was slow of speech, but as the minutes went on and he did not absolutely refuse the boys exchanged glances of excitement and hope. "I dunno how that might be, young sirs," John Lirriper said slowly, after long cogitation. "I dussay my nephew would have no objection, but what would parson say about it?" "Oh, I don't think he would object," Geoffrey said. "If you go up and ask him, Master Lirriper, and say that you will take care of us, you know, I don't see why he should say no." "Like enough you would be ill," John Lirriper said after another long pause. "It's pretty rough sometimes. "Oh, we shouldn't mind that," Lionel protested. "We should like to see the waves and to be in a real ship." "It's nothing much of a ship," the boatman said. "She is a ketch of about ten tons and carries three hands." "Oh, we don't care how small she is if we can only go in her; and you would be able to show us London, and we might even see the queen. Oh, do come up with us and ask father, Master Lirriper." "Perhaps parson wouldn't be pleased, young sirs, and, might say I was putting wandering thoughts into your heads; and Mistress Vickars might think it a great liberty on my part." "Oh, no, she wouldn't, Master Lirriper. Besides, we will say we asked you." "But suppose any harm comes to you, what would they say to me then?" "Oh, there's no fear of any harm coming to us. Besides, in another year or two we mean to go over to the Low Countries and fight the Spaniards, and what's a voyage to London to that?" "Well, I will think about it," John Lirriper said cautiously. "No, no, Master Lirriper; if you get thinking about it it will never be done. Do come up with us at once," and each of them got hold of one of the boatman's arms. "Well, the parson can but say no," he said, as he suffered himself to be dragged away. "And I don't say as it isn't reasonable that you should like to see something of the world, young sirs; but I don't know how the parson will take it."