“'What has she got?' says Tom. 'Wal, folks might say none o' my bisness; but I s'pects it 'll turn out some o' my bisness, and yourn too, if he don't look sharp arter it,' says Tom. 'It's no good, that 'are box ain't.' “'Why don't you speak to Mr. More?' says I. “'Wal, you see she's a chipperin' round and a-makin' herself agreeable to both on 'em, you see; she don't mean to give nobody any chance for a talk with 'em; but I've got my eye on her, for all that. You see I hain't no sort o' disposition to sarve out a time on one o' them British prison-ships,' says Tom Toothacre. 'It might be almighty handy for them British to have “The Brilliant” for a coast-vessel,' says he; 'but, ye see, it can't be spared jest yet. So, madam,' says he, 'I've got my eye on you.' “Wal, Tom was as good as his word; for when Mr. More came towards him at the wheel, Tom he up and says to him, 'Mr. More,' says he, that 'are big box in the state-room yonder wants lookin' into.' “Tom was a sort o' privileged character, and had a way o' speakin' up that the officers took in good part, 'cause they knew he was a fust-rate hand. “Wal, Mr. More he looks mysterious; and says he, Tom, do the boys know what's in that 'are box?' “'I bet they don't,' says Tom. 'If they had, you wouldn't a got 'em to help it aboard.' “'Wal, you see, poor woman,' says Mr. More to Tom, 'she was so distressed. She wanted to get her husband's body to Boston; and there wa'n't no other way, and so the cap'n let it come aboard. He didn't want the boys to suspect what it really was.' “'Husband's body be hanged!' said Tom. 'Guess that 'are corpse ain't so dead but what there 'll be a resurrection afore mornin', if it ain't looked arter,' says he. “'Why, what do you mean, Tom?' said Mr. More, all in a blue maze. “'I mean, that 'are gal that's ben a switchin' her petticuts up and down our deck ain't no gal at all. That are's a British officer, Mr. More. You give my duty to the cap'n, and tell him to look into his widder's bandbox, and see what he 'll find there.' “Wal, the mate he went and had a talk with the cap'n; and they 'greed between 'em that Mr. More was to hold her in talk while the cap'n went and took observations in the state-room. “So, down the cap'n goes into the state-room to give a look at the box. Wal, he finds the stateroom door all locked to be sure, and my lady had the key in her pocket; but then the cap'n he had a master key to it; and so he puts it in, and opens the door quite softly, and begins to take observations. “Sure enough, he finds that the screws had been drawed from the top o' the box, showin' that the widder had been a tinkerin' on't when they thought she was a cryin' over it; and then, lookin' close, he sees a bit o' twine goin' from a crack in the box out o' the winder, and up on deck.