“Andasformycharacterasashipmate。”concludedWicks，“goandaskmyoldfirm。”
“Butlookhere！”criedHadden，“howdoyoumeantomanage？
Youcanwhiskroundinahansom，andnoquestionsasked。
Butifyoutrytocomeonaquarter-deck，myboy，you’llgetnabbed。”
“I’llhavetokeepbacktillthelast。”repliedWicks，“andtakeanothername。”
“Buthowaboutclearing？whatothername？”askedTommy，alittlebewildered。
“Idon’tknowyet。”returnedthecaptain，withagrin。“I’llseewhatthenameisonmynewcertificate，andthat’llbegoodenoughforme。IfIcan’tgetonetobuy，thoughIneverheardofsuchathing，there’soldKirkup，he’sturnedsomesortoffarmerdownBondiway；he’llhiremehis。”
“Youseemedtospeakasifyouhadashipinview。”saidCarthew。
“SoIhave，too。”saidCaptainWicks，“andabeauty。SchooneryachtDream；gotlinesyouneversawthebeatof；andawitchtogo。ShepassedmeonceoffThursdayIsland，doingtwoknotstomyoneandlayingapointandahalfbetter；andtheGraceDarlingwasashipthatIwasproudof。Itookandtoremyhair。TheDream’sbeenMYdreameversince。Thatwasinherolddays，whenshecarriedablueens’n。GrantSandersonwasthepartyasownedher；hewasrichandmad，andgotafeveratlastsomewhereabouttheFlyRiver，andtookanddied。
ThecaptainbroughtthebodybacktoSydney，andpaidoff。
Well，itturnedoutGrantSandersonhadleftanyquantityofwillsandanyquantityofwidows，andnofellowcouldmakeoutwhichwasthegenuinearticle。Allthewidowsbroughtlawsuitsagainstalltherest，andeverywillhadafirmoflawyersonthequarterdeckaslongasyourarm。Theytellmeitwasoneofthebiggestturns-tothateverwasseen，barTichborne；theLordChamberlainhimselfwasfloored，andsowastheLordChancellor；andallthattimetheDreamlayrottingupbyGlebePoint。Well，it’sdonenow；they’vepickedoutawidowandawill；tossedupforit，aslikeasnot；andtheDream’sforsale。She’llgocheap；she’shadalongturn-toatrotting。”
“Whatsizeisshe？”
“Well，bigenough。Wedon’twantherbigger。Ahundredandninety，goingtwohundred。”repliedthecaptain。“She’sfullybigforusthree；itwouldbeallthebetterifwehadanotherhand，thoughit’sapitytoo，whenyoucanpickupnativesforhalfnothing。Thenwemusthaveacook。Icanfixrawsailor-
men，butthere’snogoingtoseawithanew-chumcook。Icanlayhandsonthemanwewantforthat：aHighwayboy，anoldshipmateofmine，ofthenameofAmalu。Cooksfirstrate，andit’salwaysbettertohaveanative；heaintfly，youcanturnhimtoasyouplease，andhedon’tknowenoughtostandoutforhisrights。”
FromthemomentthatCaptainWicksjoinedintheconversation，Carthewrecoveredinterestandconfidence；theman(whateverhemighthavedone)wasplainlygood-natured，andplainlycapable；ifhethoughtwelloftheenterprise，offeredtocontributemoney，broughtexperience，andcouldthussolveatawordtheproblemofthetrade，Carthewwascontenttogoahead。AsforHadden，hiscupwasfull；heandBostockforgaveeachotherinchampagne；toastfollowedtoast；itwasproposedandcarriedamidacclamationtochangethenameoftheschooner(whensheshouldbebought)totheCurrencyLass；andtheCurrencyLassIslandTradingCompanywaspracticallyfoundedbeforedusk。
Threedayslater，Carthewstoodbeforethelawyer，stillinhisjeansuit，receivedhishundredandfiftypounds，andproceededrathertimidlytoaskformoreindulgence。
“Ihaveachancetogetonintheworld。”hesaid。“Byto-morroweveningIexpecttobepartownerofaship。”
“Dangerousproperty，Mr。Carthew。”saidthelawyer。
“Notifthepartnersworkherthemselvesandstandtogodownalongwithher。”wasthereply。
“Iconceiveitpossibleyoumightmakesomethingofitinthatway。”returnedtheother。“Butareyouaseaman？Ithoughtyouhadbeeninthediplomaticservice。”
“Iamanoldyachtsman。”saidNorris。“AndImustdothebestIcan。Afellowcan’tliveinNewSouthWalesupondiplomacy。ButthepointIwishtoprepareyouforisthis。ItwillbeimpossibleIshouldpresentmyselfherenextquarter-
day；weexpecttomakeasixmonths’cruiseofitamongtheislands。”
“Sorry，Mr。Carthew：Ican’thearofthat。”repliedthelawyer。
“Imeanuponthesameconditionsasthelast。”saidCarthew。
“Theconditionsareexactlyopposite。”saidthelawyer。“LasttimeIhadreasontoknowyouwereinthecolony；andeventhenIstretchedapoint。Thistime，byyourownconfession，youarecontemplatingabreachoftheagreement；andIgiveyouwarningifyoucarryitoutandIreceiveproofofit(forI
willagreetoregardthisconversationasconfidential)Ishallhavenochoicebuttodomyduty。Behereonquarter-day，oryourallowanceceases。”
“Thisisveryhardand，Ithink，rathersilly。”returnedCarthew。
“Itisnotofmydoing。Ihavemyinstructions。”saidthelawyer。
“Andyousoreadtheseinstructions，thatIamtobeprohibitedfrommakinganhonestlivelihood？”askedCarthew。
“Letusbefrank。”saidthelawyer。“Ifindnothingintheseinstructionsaboutanhonestlivelihood。Ihavenoreasontosupposemyclientscareanythingaboutthat。Ihavereasontosupposeonlyonething，——thattheymeanyoushallstayinthiscolony，andtoguessanother，Mr。Carthew。Andtoguessanother。”
“Whatdoyoumeanbythat？”askedNorris。
“ImeanthatIimagine，onverystronggrounds，thatyourfamilydesiretoseenomoreofyou。”saidthelawyer。“O，theymaybeverywrong；butthatistheimpressionconveyed，thatiswhatIsupposeIampaidtobringabout，andIhavenochoicebuttotryandearnmyhire。”
“Iwouldscorntodeceiveyou。”saidNorris，withastrongflush，“youhaveguessedrightly。Myfamilyrefusetoseeme；butI
amnotgoingtoEngland，Iamgoingtotheislands。Howdoesthataffecttheislands？”
“Ah，butIdon’tknowthatyouaregoingtotheislands。”saidthelawyer，lookingdown，andspearingtheblotting-paperwithapencil。
“Ibegyourpardon。Ihavethepleasureofinformingyou。”saidNorris。
“Iamafraid，Mr。Carthew，thatIcannotregardthatcommunicationasofficial。”wastheslowreply。
“Iamnotaccustomedtohavemyworddoubted！”criedNorris。
“Hush！Iallownoonetoraisehisvoiceinmyoffice。”saidthelawyer。“Andforthatmatter——youseemtobeayounggentlemanofsense——considerwhatIknowofyou。Youareadiscardedson；yourfamilypaysmoneytobeshutofyou。Whathaveyoudone？Idon’tknow。ButdoyounotseehowfoolishI
shouldbe，ifIexposedmybusinessreputationonthesafeguardofthehonourofagentlemanofwhomIknowjustsomuchandnomore？Thisinterviewisverydisagreeable。Whyprolongit？
Writehome，getmyinstructionschanged，andIwillchangemybehaviour。Nototherwise。”
“Iamveryfondofthreehundredayear。”saidNorris，“butI
cannotpaythepricerequired。Ishallnothavethepleasureofseeingyouagain。”
“Youmustpleaseyourself。”saidthelawyer。“Failtobeherenextquarter-day，andthethingstops。ButIwarnyou，andI
meanthewarninginafriendlyspirit。Threemonthslateryouwillbeherebegging，andIshallhavenochoicebuttoshowyouinthestreet。”
“Iwishyouagood-evening。”saidNorris。
“Thesametoyou，Mr。Carthew。”retortedthelawyer，andrangforhisclerk。
SoitbefellthatNorrisduringwhatremainedtohimofarduousdaysinSydney，sawnotagainthefaceofhislegaladviser；andhewasalreadyatsea，andlandwasoutofsight，whenHaddenbroughthimaSydneypaper，overwhichhehadbeendozingintheshadowofthegalley，andshowedhimanadvertisement。
“Mr。NorrisCarthewisearnestlyentreatedtocallwithoutdelayattheofficeofMr——，whereimportantintelligenceawaitshim。”
“Itmustmanagetowaitformesixmonths。”saidNorris，lightlyenough，butyetconsciousofapangofcuriosity。
Beforenoononthe26thNovember，thereclearedfromtheportofSydneytheschooner，CurrencyLass。Theowner，NorrisCarthew，wasonboardinthesomewhatunusualpositionofmate；themaster’snamepurportedtobeWilliamKirkup；thecookwasaHawaiianboy，JosephAmalu；andthereweretwohandsbeforethemast，ThomasHaddenandRichardHemstead，thelatterchosenpartlybecauseofhishumblecharacter，partlybecausehehadanodd-job-man’shandinesswithtools。TheCurrencyLasswasboundfortheSouthSeaIslands，andfirstofallforButaritariintheGilberts，onaregister；butitwasunderstoodabouttheharbourthathercruisewasmorethanhalfapleasuretrip。AfriendofthelateGrantSanderson(ofAuchentroonandKilclarty)mighthaverecognisedinthattall-mastedship，thetransformedandrechristenedDream；andtheLloyd’ssurveyor，hadtheservicesofsuchaonebeencalledinrequisition，musthavefoundabundantsubjectofremark。
Fortime，duringherthreeyears’inaction，hadeatendeepintotheDreamandherfittings；shehadsoldinconsequenceashadeabovehervalueasoldjunk；andthethreeadventurershadscarcebeenabletoaffordeventhemostvitalrepairs。Therigging，indeed，hadbeenpartlyrenewed，andtherestsetup；
allGrantSanderson’soldcanvashadbeenpatchedtogetherintoonedecentlyserviceablesuitofsails；GrantSanderson’smastsstillstood，andmighthavewonderedatthemselves。“I
haven’tthehearttotapthem。”CaptainWicksusedtoobserve，ashesquinteduptheirheightorpattedtheirrotundity；and“asrottenasourforemast“wasanacceptedmetaphorintheship’scompany。Thesequelrathersuggestsitmayhavebeensounderthanwasthought；butnooneknewforcertain，justasnooneexceptthecaptainappreciatedthedangersofthecruise。Thecaptain，indeed，sawwithcleareyesandspokehismindaloud；
andthoughamanofanastonishinghot-bloodedcourage，followinglifeandtakingitsdangersinthespiritofahoundupontheslot，hehadmadeapointofabigwhaleboat。“Takeyourchoice。”hehadsaid；“eithernewmastsandriggingorthatboat。Isimplyain’tgoingtoseawithouttheoneortheother。
Chickencoopsaregoodenough，nodoubt，andsoisadinghy；
buttheyain’tforJoe。”Andhispartnershadbeenforcedtoconsent，andsawsixandthirtypoundsoftheirsmallcapitalvanishintheturnofahand。
Allfourhadtoiledthebestpartofsixweeksgettingready；andthoughCaptainWickswasofcoursenotseenorheardof，afifthwastheretohelpthem，afellowinabushyredbeard，whichhewouldsometimeslayasidewhenhewasbelow，andwhostrikinglyresembledCaptainWicksinvoiceandcharacter。AsforCaptainKirkup，hedidnotappeartillthelastmoment，whenheprovedtobeaburlymariner，beardedlikeAbouBenAdhem。AllthewaydowntheharbourandthroughtheHeads，hismilk-whitewhiskersblewinthewindandwereconspicuousfromshore；buttheCurrencyLasshadnosoonerturnedherbackuponthelighthouse，thanhewentbelowfortheinsideoffivesecondsandreappearedcleanshaven。Somanydoublingsanddeviceswererequiredtogettoseawithanunseaworthyshipandacaptainthatwas“wanted。”Normighteventhesehavesufficed，butforthefactthatHaddenwasapubliccharacter，andthewholecruiseregardedwithaneyeofindulgenceasoneofTom’sengagingeccentricities。Theship，besides，hadbeenayachtbefore；anditcamethemorenaturaltoallowherstillsomeofthedangerouslibertiesofheroldemployment。
Astrangeshiptheyhadmadeofit，herloftysparsdisfiguredwithpatchedcanvas，herpanelledcabinfittedforatraderoomwithrudeshelves。Andthelifetheyledinthatanomalousschoonerwasnolesscuriousthanherself。Amalualoneberthedforward；therestoccupiedstaterooms，campeduponthesatindivans，andsatdowninGrantSanderson’sparquetrysmoking-roomtomealsofjunkandpotatoes，badoftheirkindandoftenscantinquantity。Hemsteadgrumbled；Tommyhadoccasionalmomentsofrevoltandincreasedtheordinarybyafewhaphazardtinsorabottleofhisownbrownsherry。ButHemsteadgrumbledfromhabit，Tommyrevoltedonlyforthemoment，andtherewasunderneatharealandgeneralacquiescenceinthesehardships。Forbesidesonionsandpotatoes，theCurrencyLassmaybesaidtohavegonetoseawithoutstores。Shecarriedtwothousandpounds’worthofassortedtrade，advancedoncredit，theirwholehopeandfortune。Itwasuponthisthattheysubsisted——miceintheirowngranary。Theydinedupontheirfutureprofits；andeveryscantymealwassomuchinthesavingsbank。
