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By Berwen Banks

Page 91

"If Ay am cooped up here in bed," he said, "Ay'm not going to be

denied may smoke, nor yet may glass of toddy, though the doctor trayed

hard to stop it. 'Shall Ay mix it a little weaker, sir?' sez Jim

Harris. None of your tarnished nonsense, Ay sez, you mix it as usual.

Ay've stuck to my toddy (just one glass or two at naight) for the last

thirty years, and it's not going to turn round on me, and do me harm

now. Eh, Mr. Gwyn?"

Cardo lighted his cigar with an apology to Valmai.

"Oh, she's used to it," said the captain, "and if she don't like it,

she can go downstairs; you'll want to see about Mr. Gwyn's dinner, may

dear."

"No, no, sir," said Cardo, "certainly not. I dine every day with all

the other passengers on board the Burrawalla. I shall come back to

my tea, and I hope your niece will always sit down to her tea and

breakfast with me."

"Oh, well, if you laike. She's quaite fit to sit down with any

nobleman in the land."

Later on in the day, Valmai, sitting on the window-seat reading out to

her uncle from the daily paper, suddenly laid it aside.

"Rather a dull paper to-day, uncle!"

"Yes, rather, may dear; but you are not reading as well as usual;" and

she wasn't, for in truth she was casting about in her mind for a good

opening for her confession to her uncle. "Suppose you sing me a song,

may dear!"

And she tried-"By Berwen's banks my love hath strayed

For many a day in sun and shade,

And as she carolled loud and clear

The little birds flew down to hear."

"Shall I tell you a story, uncle?"

"Well, what's it about, may dear? Anything to pass the taime! Ay'm

getting very taired of lying abed."

"Well then, listen uncle; it's a true story."

"Oh, of course," said the old man. "'Is it true, mother?' Ay used to

ask when she told us a story. 'Yes, of course,' she'd say, 'if it

didn't happen in this world, it happened in some other,' so, go on, may

dear."

"Well," said Valmai, laughing rather nervously, "this happened in this

world, whatever! Once upon a time, there was a young girl who was

living on a wild sea-coast. It was very beautiful, but she was very

lonely sometimes, for she had no father nor mother, nor sister nor

brother."

"Poor thing," said the old man.

"Yes, certainly, she was very lonely," continued Valmai; "but one day

she met a young man, bright and brave and true."

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