Of course a 'toofams' meant a tooth; and Ben, keeping up the game, went below at once and found it was the truth, and was wise enough to go into raptures over the pearly little appearance.
But, happy though his home was, it was evident enough that the sealkin retained a good deal of nature about him, and would fain have obeyed the call of the wild, and plunged right away down into the clear sunny sea, a blink of which he could catch through one of the scupper-holes on the lee side. And always now, when taken on deck for what Lotty termed his constitutional, it was towards a lee scupper-hole he crawled or waddled his way, and seemed never to tire watching the waves. Sometimes when there was a freshening breeze, with plenty of sail on her, the sea would gurgle up as she dipped to leeward, and some portion would be under water. Then Norlans spread his flippers at once and made pretence to swim, and had to be taken away to be towelled and placed in the sunshine to dry.
It was about this time that Mrs Skipper had a quiet talk with her husband, and told him about those curious birth-marks, and what she half-suspected, and what she was going to do about it. Even the mate was taken into confidence and his advice asked. But he had not much to give. He really was both innocent and good, but knew more about handling a ship than anything else.
'Seems to me, Mrs Captain,' this was all he said, 'as how it is a 'tarposition o' Providence from first to last. And He—the great Power above us all—does move in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.'
'Well,' said Mrs Paterson, 'you are both men-people and have your reason to guide you. I am only a woman-person, and have merely my instinct; but, Providence here or Providence there, something tells me that a great wrong has been done to that dear child, and mebbe we may be put in the way to redress it.'
'That is,' said the mate solemnly, 'if your suspeecions is right, Mrs Captain. If they's wrong, then'——
'Well, then, of course, there will be no harm done, only we must take good care to say nothing to Lotty one way or another till we see.'
'That's right, that is right, Mrs Captain; and I'm truly glad I've given you good advice, which I hope you won't be above thinking over.'
As the honest mate had given no advice, one way nor another, it certainly would not take very long to think it over.
That was a somewhat rough and stormy passage homewards; but the wind was for the most part fair, and under such circumstances she 'skeeted' along like a water-witch, and in due time the cliffs of Old England hove in sight far off on the lee-bow, lying along like a gray cloud on the horizon.