"Iss, I would so, when her might be. I showed they silks and satins to Mistress, and telled her I had broughted ’em for Maidy Susan. ’No, indeed,’ says she; ’quite unsuitable for a girl in her station o’ life.’ ’Why for, please ’m?’ says I. ’Because I say so,’ says she; ’I never heerd o’ sech a thing.’ Be-jowned if I can see why. Pretty things be fitty for pretty females, and I don’t care who the man is, Maidy Susan would look as fine in ’em as Mistress do in her noble sealskin." "Fine feathers don’t make fine birds, they say," remarked Dick with a smile. "No, nor fine coats don’t make old women young and pretty. They only make ’em look fatter." "Sam, don’t be impudent." "Bean’t impedence, leastways, not meant for sech, as you know well. It be truth," insisted Sam. "Can ’ee deny it? I axe ’ee, bean’t Susan a pretty maid?" "She is, I own." "Well, then, there you are." This appeared to Sam a clinching argument. Dick laughed. "I’ll speak to Mother," he said. "Perhaps she will let Susan have a little silk for high days and holidays. But you know the story of the jackdaw that dressed up as a peacock and was pecked to death by the peacocks it went amongst?" "Never heerd o’t, and I don’t believe it. Peacocks be sech silly mortals. Howsomever, if ye’ll speak to Mistress I’ll say no more, for she’ll do whatever you tell her." By this time they were far out in the bay. They cast their lines overboard, and caught one or two flat fish; but sport being very slow, and the wind increasing in force, after about an hour they decided to return. Another boat, meanwhile, had put out for the same purpose. It contained Jake Tonkin and Ike Pendry. The two boats passed within a few yards of each other. "Afeard of a capful o’ wind," said Jake with a sneer to his companion, loud enough to be heard on the other boat. "Ay, they’ll ’eave up afore they get ashore," rejoined Pendry. Dick paid no attention to them. Running in behind the Beal, which sheltered him from the wind, he found the sea in Trevanion Bay so calm that he began to wonder whether he had not been over-hasty in putting back. They landed, moored the boat, and carried their meagre catch to the Towers. "They may jeer," said Dick, as he steadied himself against the wind, which on the cliff-top blew with the force of half a gale, "but they’ll run in themselves pretty soon, you’ll see." Having handed the fish to Reuben, they left the house again, and made their way along the Beal, somewhat curious to see how the two fisher-lads were faring. Jake’s boat, an old tub, as crazy as that of Dick’s which had been destroyed, was tossing and rolling in a way that must have rendered fishing a very uncomfortable occupation. "They’re a couple of jackasses," said Dick. "The wind is getting up every minute. Look at that! That gust nearly capsized them." "I reckon they be showing off," said Sam. "Ah! they’re putting back arter all, and ’twas time."