"'Oh, very well,' I says; 'if their pa don't object, and they wishes it, I'd go with 'em anywheres. You wait here a quarter of an hour, while I goes and cleans myself, and I'll go with you.'
"When I comes back the youngest takes my hand, and the oldest holds by my jacket, and we goes up into High Street, and across to the other cliff. We goes along till we comes to a pretty little cottage looking over the sea. There was a garden in front, new planted with flowers.
"'Are you sure you are going right?' says I, when they turned in.
"They nodded, and ran up to the door and turned the handle.
"'Come in, Joe,' they said; and they dragged me into a parlor, where a lady and gentleman was sitting.
"The gentleman got up.
"'My little girls have spoken so much to me about you, Joe, that I feel that we know each other already.'
"'Well, Joe, do you know that I owe you a great deal as to these little girls?'
"'Bless you, sir, it's I as owe a great deal to the little missies; they have made a changed man of me, they have; you ask anyone on the shore.'