The accommodation in it was, however, clean and homely, and the people keeping it were respectable enough in their way.
Still Hepburn was rather repelled by the appearance of the sailors who sate drinking in the bar, and he asked, in a low voice, if there was not another room.

The woman stared in surprise, and only shook her head.

Hepburn went to a separate table, away from the roaring fire, which on this cold March evening was the great attraction, and called for food and drink.

Then seeing that the other men were eyeing him with the sociable idea of speaking to him, he asked for pen and ink and paper, with the intention of defeating their purpose by pre-occupation on his part.

But when the paper came, the new pen, the unused thickened ink, he hesitated long before he began to write; and at last he slowly put down the words,-- 'DEAR AND HONOURED UNCLE,'---- There was a pause; his meal was brought and hastily swallowed.