"'Taint wuth much, but--what--ten dollars?
I'll give ye three, and not a cent more." But the Skipper put him aside with a wave of his hand.
"Another time, sir," he said; "at future interview I will make arrangements with you, and hope to satisfy; at present I instruct these ladies a little in life under the sea.
"Lady," he said, and it was observable that although he spoke to Mrs.
Isaac Cutter, his eyes rested on Lena, and on the boy John, who stood behind her, "Nature of her abundance is very generous to the sea.

Here all fishes swim, great and small; but more! All things that on earth find their place, of them you find a picture, copy, what you please to call it, at the bottom of the sea.

A few only are yet found by men, yet strange things also have I seen.

Not under the ocean do you think to find violets growing, is it so?
yet here you observe a handful of violets, in colour as on a green bank, though without perfume, the sunshine wanting in those places." He drew from a box some of the exquisite little violet snail-shells, and gave them to Lena, who cried out with delight, and instantly resolved to have a pair of ear-rings made of them.
"The ladies are hungry ?" the quiet voice went on.

"They desire breakfast?
I offer them a poached egg, grown under the sea.