of my own. And I'm never wrong. Let me hear a song
this minute."

"I don't think I know one, sir," returned Nell.

"You know forty-seven songs," said the man, with a
gravity which admitted of no altercation on the subject. "Forty-seven's your number. Let me hear one of 'em--
the best. Give me a song this minute."

Not knowing what might be the consequences of irritating
her friend, and trembling with the fear of doing so, poor
Nell sang him some little ditty which she had learned in
happier times, and which was so agreeable to his ear, that
on its conclusion he in the same peremptory manner re-
quested to be favoured with another, to which he was so
obliging as to roar a chorus to no particular tune, and with
no words at all, but which amply made up in its amazing
energy for its deficiency in other respects. The noise of
this vocal performance awakened the other man, who,
staggering upon deck and shaking his late opponent by
the hand, swore that singing was his pride and joy and chief
delight, and that he desired no better entertainment. With
a third call, more imperative than either of the two former,
Nell felt obliged to comply, and this time a chorus was
maintained not only by the two men together, but also by
the third man on horseback, who, being by his position
debarred from a nearer participation in the revels of the
night, roared when his companions roared, and rent the
very air. In this way, with little cessation, and singing
the same songs again and again, the tired and exhausted
child kept them in good humour all that night; and many
a cottager, who was roused from his soundest sleep by the
discordant chorus as it floated away upon the wind, hid
his head beneath the bed-clothes, and trembled at the
sounds.

At length the morning dawned. It was no sooner light
than it began to rain heavily. As the child could not endure
the intolerable vapours of the cabin, they covered her, in
return for her exertions, with some pieces of sail-cloth
and ends of tarpaulin, which sufficed to keep her tolerably
dry and to shelter her grandfather besides. As the day
advanced the rain increased. At noon it poured down more
hopelessly and heavily than ever, without the faintest
promise of abatement.

They had for some time been gradually approaching
the place for which they were bound. The water had

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