"And your friends with you?"
"What friends?"
"Mrs. Dunscombe and her daughter."
"No, Ma'am they were down in the cabin."
"And what business had you to be wandering about the boat alone?" said Mr. Marshman, good-humouredly.
"They were strangers, Sir," said Ellen, colouring a little.
"Well, so was this man your friend a stranger, too, wasn't he?"
"Oh, he was a very different stranger," said Ellen, smiling, "and he wasn't a stranger long, besides."
"Well, you must tell me more about him come, I'm curious; what sort of a strange friend was this?"
"He wasn't a strange friend," said Ellen, laughing; "he was a very, very good friend; he took care of me the whole day; he was very good and very kind."