"Well, one lives and learns," said Ready. "I have learnt something to-day, which everyone will to the last day of his life, if he will only ask questions. I'm an old man, and perhaps don't know much, except in the seafaring way; but I should have known much less if I did not ask for information, and was not ashamed to acknowledge my ignorance; that's the way to learn, Master William." "Very good advice, Ready, - and, William, I hope you will profit by it," said Mr. Seagrave; "never be ashamed to ask the meaning of what you do not understand." "I always do, papa. Do I not ask you questions, Ready?" "Yes, you do, and very clever questions for a boy of your age; and I only wish that I could answer them better than I can sometimes." "I should like to go down now, my dear," said Mrs. Seagrave; "perhaps Ready will see the baby down safe." "That I will, ma'am," said Ready, putting his quadrant on the capstan: "now, Juno, give me the child, and go down first; - backwards, you stupid girl! how often do I tell you that? Some day or another you will come down with a run." "And break my head," said Juno. "Yes, or break your arm; and then who is to hold the child?" As soon as they were all down in the cabin, the captain and Mr. Seagrave marked the position of the vessel on the chart, and found that they were one hundred and thirty miles from the Cape of Good Hope. "If the wind holds, we shall be in to-morrow," said Mr. Seagrave to his wife. "Juno, perhaps you may see your father and mother." Poor Juno shook her head, and a tear or two stole down her dark cheek. With a mournful face she told them, that her father and mother belonged to a Dutch boor, who had gone with them many miles into the interior: she had been parted from them when quite a little child, and had been left at Cape Town. Chapter III The next morning the Pacific arrived at the Cape and anchored in Table Bay. "Why do they call this Table Bay, Ready?" said William. "I suppose it's because they call that great mountain the Table Mountain, Master William; you see how flat the mountain is on the top." "Yes, it is quite as flat as a table." "Yes, and sometimes you will see the white clouds rolling down over the top of it in a very curious manner, and that the sailors call spreading the tablecloth: it is a sign of bad weather." "Then I hope they will not spread the tablecloth while we are here, Ready," said William, "for I shall certainly have no appetite. We have had bad weather enough already, and mamma suffers so much from it. What a pretty place it is!" "We shall remain here two days, sir," said Captain Osborn to Mr. Seagrave, "if you and Mrs. Seagrave would like to go on shore." "I will go down and ask Mrs. Seagrave," said her husband, who went down the ladder, followed by William.