CHAPTER III.
The story of the shattered chiwal-glass and the visit of Tinman's old schoolmate fresh from Australia, was at many a breakfast-table before.
Tinman heard a word of it, and when he did he had no time to spare for such incidents, for he was reading to his widowed sister Martha, in an impressive tone, at a tolerably high pitch of the voice, and with a suppressed excitement that shook away all things external from his mind as violently as it agitated his body.

Not the waves without but the engine within it is which gives the shock and tremor to the crazy steamer, forcing it to cut through the waves and scatter them to spray; and so did Martin Tinman make light of the external attack of the card of VAN DIEMEN SMITH, and its pencilled line: "An old chum of yours, eh, matey ?" Even the communication of Phippun & Co.

concerning the chiwal-glass, failed to divert him from his particular task.

It was indeed a public duty; and the chiwal-glass, though pertaining to it, was a private business.

He that has broken the glass, let that man pay for it, he pronounced--no doubt in simpler fashion, being at his ease in his home, but with the serenity of one uplifted.