The cutter anchored in her old berth, and Vanslyperken, as usual, went on shore, with his double set of despatches, which were duly delivered; and then Mr Vanslyperken went up the main street, and turned into a jeweller’s shop.  What could Mr Vanslyperken do there?  Surely it was to purchase something for the widow Vandersloosh—­a necklace or pair of ear-rings.  No, it was not with that intention; but nevertheless, Mr Vanslyperken remained there for a long while, and then was seen to depart.  Seen by whom?  By Moggy Salisbury, who had observed his entering, and who could not imagine why; she, however, said nothing, but she marked the shop, and walked away.

The next day, Mr Vanslyperken went on shore, to put into his mother’s charge the money which he had received from Ramsay, and narrated all that had passed—­how Smallbones had swallowed two-pennyworth of arsenic with no more effect upon him than one twinge in his stomach, and how he now fully believed that nothing would kill the boy.

“Pshaw! child—­phut!—­nonsense!—­nothing kill him?—­had he been in my hands, old as they are, and shaking as they do, he would not have lived; no, no—­nobody escapes me when I am determined.  We’ll talk about that, but not now, Cornelius; the weather has turned warm at last, and there is no need of fire.  Go, child, the money is locked up safe, and I have my mood upon me—­I may even do you a mischief.”

Vanslyperken, who knew that it was useless to remain after this hint, walked off and returned on board.  As he pulled off, he passed a boat, apparently coming from the cutter, with Moggy Salisbury sitting in the stern-sheets.  She waved her hand at him, and laughed ironically.

“Impudent hussy!” thought Vanslyperken, as she passed, but he dared not say a word.  He turned pale with rage, and turned his head away; but little did he imagine, at the time, what great cause he had of indignation.  Moggy had been three hours on board of the cutter talking with the men, but more particularly with Smallbones and the corporal, with which two she had been in earnest conference for the first hour that she was on board.

Moggy’s animosity to Vanslyperken is well known, and she ridiculed the idea of Snarleyyow being anything more than an uncommon lucky dog in escaping so often.  Smallbones was of her opinion, and again declared his intention of doing the dog a mischief as soon as he could.  Moggy, after her conference with these two, mixed with the ship’s company, with whom she had always been a favourite, and the corporal proceeded to superintend the cutting up and the distribution of the fresh beef which had that morning come on board.

The beef block was on the forecastle, where the major part of the crew, with Moggy, were assembled; Snarleyyow had always attended the corporal on these occasions, and was still the best of friends with him; for somehow or another, the dog had not seemed to consider the corporal a party to his brains being knocked out, but had put it all down to his natural enemy, Smallbones.  The dog was, as usual, standing by the block close to the corporal, and picking up the fragments of beef which dropped from the chopper.