“Here she comes,” cried the captain, rising and kissing her.  “Why, Kathy, how you’ve grown since I saw you last!  Quite a woman, I declare!”

Kathy was not too much of a woman, however, to join her brothers and sisters in forcing the captain into a seat and demanding a story on the spot.

“Stop, stop!” cried the captain, grasping round their waists a small boy and girl who had already clambered on his knees.  “Let me inquire about my old friends first—­and let me introduce my son to you—­you’ve taken no notice of him yet!  That’s not hospitable.”

All eyes were turned at once on Nigel, some boldly, others with a shy inquiring look, as though to say, Can you tell stories?

“Come, now,” said Nigel, advancing, “since you are all so fond of my father, I must shake hands with you all round.”

The hearty way in which this was done at once put the children at their ease.  They admitted him, as it were, into their circle, and then turning again to the captain continued their clamour for a story.

“No, no—­about old friends first.  How—­how’s old mother Morris?”

“Quite well,” they shouted.  “Fatterer than ever,” added an urchin, who in England would have been styled cheeky.

“Yes,” lisped a very little girl; “one of ’e doors in ’e house too small for she.”

“Why, Gerchin, you’ve learned to speak English like the rest,” said the captain.

“Yes, father make every one learn.”

“Well, now,” continued the captain, “what about Black Sam?”

“Gone to Batavia,” chorused the children.

“And—­and—­what’s-’is-name?—­the man wi’ the nose—­”

A burst of laughter and, “We’s all got noses here!” was the reply.

“Yes, but you know who I mean—­the short man wi’ the—­”

“Oh! with the turned up nose. I know,” cried the cheeky boy; “you means Johnson?  He goed away nobody know whar’.”

“And little Nelly Drew, what of her?”

A sudden silence fell on the group, and solemn eyes were turned on sister Kathy, who was evidently expected to answer.

“Not dead?” said the captain earnestly.

“No, but very very ill,” replied the girl.

“Dear Nelly have never git over the loss of her brother, who—­”

At this point they were interrupted by another group of the captain’s little admirers, who, having heard of his arrival, ran forward to give him a noisy welcome.  Before stories could be commenced, however, the visitors were summoned to Mr. Ross’s house to dinner, and then the captain had got into such an eager talk with the king that evening was upon them before they knew where they were, as Nigel expressed it, and the stories had to be postponed until the following day.

Of course beds were offered, and accepted by Captain Roy and Nigel.  Just before retiring to them, father and son went out to have a stroll on the margin of the lagoon.