“He has set his heart on going to sea, though I fear there is but little chance of his getting into the navy,” observed Lieutenant Pack.
“If he does, I hope that he may be more fortunate than some of his elders,” answered the coast-guard lieutenant in a tone not very encouraging.
The remark produced a momentary effect on Ned, but he soon forgot it, and was as eager as before to become a sailor.
They proceeded on to the station, where, after visiting the injured man, for whom the old lieutenant had brought some delicacies made by Miss Sarah, he and his nephew set off to return home by a circuitous road, which ran a good way inland. They had got some way, when they caught sight of Miss Sarah and Mary in the distance.
“Go, Ned, and see where those women-kind of ours are bound for,” exclaimed the lieutenant. Ned ran forward.
“We are going to visit Silas Shank the miser, as the people call him, though he must be very poor and miserable, as I cannot suppose that he would nearly starve himself if he had the means of buying proper food,” answered Mary.
“If I may, I will go with you,” said Ned; “perhaps Uncle Pack would like to come also.”
The lieutenant, for whom they waited, however, preferred going home, and Miss Sally, giving her basket to Ned, returned with him, allowing her nephew to accompany Mary.
“Just leave the pudding and jelly with the old man, and if he does not appear inclined to talk do not stop,” said Miss Sally.
Ned and Mary walked on, cheerfully conversing, as they were wont to do, for they had always plenty to say to each other, and Mary’s tongue wagged as fast as that of any young lady of her age, though not so thoughtlessly as that of many. Ned naturally spoke of the ship he had seen running down channel. “I do not wish to be away from you all, but yet I did wish to be on board her, sailing to distant lands, to go among strange people, and to feel that I was doing something and learning to be an officer. It would be a fine thing to command a ship like that.”