'I have indeed,' said Herrick.

'Yes, I know,' said the captain, 'you think so. But no man's got

a family till he's got children. It's only the kids count. There's

something about the little shavers... I can't talk of them. And if

you thought a cent about this father that I hear you talk of, or that

sweetheart you were writing to this morning, you would feel like me. You

would say, What matters laws, and God, and that? My folks are hard up,

I belong to them, I'll get them bread, or, by God! I'll get them wealth,

if I have to burn down London for it. That's what you would say. And

I'll tell you more: your heart is saying so this living minute. I can

see it in your face. You're thinking, Here's poor friendship for the man

I've starved along of, and as for the girl that I set up to be in love

with, here's a mighty limp kind of a love that won't carry me as far

as 'most any man would go for a demijohn of whisky. There's not much

ROmance to that love, anyway; it's not the kind they carry on about in

songbooks. But what's the good of my carrying on talking, when it's all

in your inside as plain as print? I put the question to you once for

all. Are you going to desert me in my hour of need?--you know if I've

deserted you--or will you give me your hand, and try a fresh deal, and

go home (as like as not) a millionaire? Say no, and God pity me! Say

yes, and I'll make the little ones pray for you every night on their

bended knees. "God bless Mr Herrick!" that's what they'll say, one after

the other, the old girl sitting there holding stakes at the foot of the

bed, and the damned little innocents.. . He broke off. 'I don't often

rip out about the kids,' he said; 'but when I do, there's something

The Ebb-Tide