Aunt Matilda, you may be sure, never once thought of so greeting me! "Avast there, Jane," laughed out Sam, much pleased at the way in which his sister had received me.

"What d'ye mean by boarding my prize in that fashion?
But I'm glad you think he's like Teddy--it will make it more like old times and home-like for us to have the laddie with us." "Aye, and he can have Ted's room," answered the other--all eagerness now to see to my being completely arranged for--"I think the poor boy's clothes will fit him too." "So they will, and just in time, too, for he wants a new rig," said her brother, casting a critical eye over my wardrobe, which had not been improved by my stay on board the coal brig.
We then proceeded to enter a nice roomy old-fashioned kitchen, with a cleanly-scoured floor like the deck of a man-of-war, and all resplendent with rows of plates and burnished pewter pots and dish-covers, where we had, what I considered both then and now to be, the best dinner I had ever eaten in my life, winding up with an apple tart that had Devonshire cream spread over it like powdered sugar--a most unparalleled prodigality of luxury to my unaccustomed eyes and palate! Afterwards, I was shown a little room at the back, looking out into the garden, which had been formerly occupied by Teddy.

Of this I was now put in formal possession, along with a good stock of clothes which the bereaved mother had carefully preserved in the chest-of-drawers in one corner, just as if her boy had been still living, all ready for use.
These, she now told me, with tears in her eyes, I was heartily welcome to, if I were not too proud to accept them, as, in wearing them, she said, I should make her think that she yet had poor Ted to comfort her, and I would take his vacant place in her heart.

The good woman, however, with housewifely care, brought up to the room a large tub with a plentiful supply of hot water and soap, so that I might have "a thorough wash," as she called it, before putting on the clean clothes.
Thus, through the kind hospitality of brother and sister alike, before the day was out, I was as thoroughly at home in the household as if-- having stepped into the lost Teddy's shoes metaphorically as well as practically--I had lived there for years! It would take a volume for me to tell of all the kindness I received from these people, the brother and sister vying with each other in their endeavours to make me feel comfortable and at ease with them in my new home.
Sam Pengelly, thinking it the right thing to do, wrote to Uncle George, informing him where I now was; and saying, that, if my relatives had no objection, he should like to be allowed to look after my future as if I were his own son.
To this a reply soon came, to the effect that, as I had of my own will thrown away all the advantages that had been secured for me in putting me to a good school and holding out the offer of a situation afterwards in a merchant's office, my uncle "washed his hands of me" on account of my ungrateful and abandoned behaviour; and that, henceforth, he did not care what became of me, nor would he be answerable for my support! "That's a good 'un," said Sam Pengelly, as he read this.

"That cranky Aunt Matilda, you told me about, laddie, must ha' had a hand in this, sartin; for, perhaps you don't know that I've diskivered as your uncle drawed what they calls a `compassionate allowance' from My Lords of th' Admiralty for your keep all them years they starved you under their roof and pretended you was livin' on their charity!" Sam Pengelly looked quite fierce and indignant as he made this, to me, new revelation.
"Really ?" I asked him, eagerly.
"Yes, laddie, it's true enough, for I've taken the pains to find it out for a fact from a friend o' mine at head-quarters.