"Of course. When you set up in a new business, you can't expect to succeed directly," returned the Resurrection Man. "The regular pirates won't have confidence in us at first; and as yet we don't know a single captain or mate that will trust us with the job of robbing their ship. How do they know but what we should peach, if we got into trouble, and tell their employers that it was all done with their connivance? But old Mossop begins to grow more friendly; and that, I'm sure, is a good sign that _he_ thinks that we shall succeed." "So it is," said the Buffer. "Besides, this barge is so good a blind, that business _must_ come. What should you say to getting into the skiff presently, and taking a look out amongst the shipping for ourselves?" "Well, I've no objection," answered Tidkins. "But we've already a connexion with several lumpers; and they have put us on to all that we _have_ done up to the present time. P'rhaps we should do better to wait for the information that they can give us. They begin to see that we pay well; and so they'll only be too anxious to put things in our way." "True enough," observed the Buffer. At this period of the conversation, a woman's head appeared above the cabin hatchway. "Supper's ready," she said. "We're coming, Moll," returned the Buffer. The two villains then descended into the cabin, where a well-spread table awaited them. Scarcely had the trio concluded their repast, when a man, who had come from the wharf and had walked across the barges until he reached the _Fairy_, called to Tidkins, by the appellation of "Captain," from the hatchway. "Come below," answered the Resurrection Man. The person thus invited was the foreman in Mr. Mossop's employment. He was short, stout, and strongly built, with a tremendous rubicundity of visage, small piercing grey eyes, no whiskers, and a very apoplectic neck. His age might be about fifty; and he was dressed in a light garb befitting the nature of his calling. "Well, Mr. Swot," said the Resurrection Man, as the little fat foreman descended the ladder; "this is really an unusual thing to have the honour of your company. Sit down; and you, Moll, put the lush and the pipes upon the table." "That's right, Captain," returned Mr. Swot, as he seated himself. "I came on purpose to drink a social glass and have a chat with you. In fact, my present visit is not altogether without an object." "I'm glad of that," said the Resurrection Man. "We want something to do. It was only just now that I and my mate were complaining how slack business was." "You know that Mossop never has any thing to do with any schemes in which chaps of your business choose to embark," continued Mr. Swot: "he receives your goods, and either keeps them in warehouse or carts them for you as you like; but he never knows where they come from." "Perfectly true," observed the Resurrection Man. "But all that's no reason why I should be equally partickler," proceeded Swot.