"So you are not down the river to-day?"
"No, sir. I am going to-morrow, and this time I shall be away four or five days—maybe even a week."
"Shall you?" the boys exclaimed in surprise. "Why, what are you going to do?"
"I am going round to London in my nephew Joe Chambers' craft."
"Are you really?" Geoffrey exclaimed. "I wish we were going with you.
Don't you think you could take us, Master Lirriper?"
The bargeman looked down into the water and frowned. He was slow of speech, but as the minutes went on and he did not absolutely refuse the boys exchanged glances of excitement and hope.
"I dunno how that might be, young sirs," John Lirriper said slowly, after long cogitation. "I dus-say my nephew would have no objection, but what would parson say about it?"
"Oh, I don't think he would object," Geoffrey said. "If you go up and ask him, Master Lirriper, and say that you will take care of us, you know, I don't see why he should say no."
"Like enough you would be ill," John Lirriper said after another long pause. "It's pretty rough sometimes."
"Oh, we shouldn't mind that," Lionel protested. "We should like to see the waves and to be in a real ship."