In time they reached Mark Lane, from whence it is no great walk to the Tower Stairs.  There is a cheap way of going to Holland from there for those who do not mind spending twenty-four hours on the journey; Julia did not mind.  When she and Johnny Gillat arrived at the Tower Stairs they saw the steamer lying in the river, a small Dutch boat, still taking in cargo from loaded lighters alongside.  A waterman put them on board, or, rather, took them to the nearest waiting lighter, from whence they scrambled on board, Mr. Gillat very unhandily.  A Dutch steward received them, and taking Johnny for a father come to see his daughter off, assured them in bad English that she would be quite safe, and well taken care of.

“She shall haf one cabin to herself, a bed clean.  Yes, yes; there is no passenger but one, a Holland gentleman; he will not speak with the miss, he is friend of captain.”

Johnny nodded a great many times, though he did not quite follow what was said.  Then Julia told him he had better go, and not keep the waterman any longer.

He agreed, and began fumbling in his pocket, from whence he pulled out one of his badly-tied parcels.

“A keepsake,” he said, putting it into her hand; then, without waiting to say good-bye, he scrambled over the side in such a hurry that he as nearly as possible fell into the river.

Julia ran to the side in some anxiety; some one shouted, “Look out,” and some one else, “Hold up,” and a third something less complimentary.  Then a man laid hold of Mr. Gillat’s legs and guided him safely on to the bobbing lighter.  There he turned and waved his hat to Julia before he got into the waiting boat.

“Good-bye,” he called.

“Good-bye,” she answered.  “Oh, do be careful!”

He was not careful, but the waterman had him now, and took him ashore.  She watched him, his round face was suffused with smiles; he waved his hat once more just as he reached the stairs.  He slipped once getting up them, but he was up now, and turned to wave once before he started down the street.

It was not till then that Julia became aware of a small sound close at hand; there was a good deal of noise going on, shouting, the rattling of cranes, and the thud of shifting bales, with now and then the hoot of a steamer and the escape of steam, and under all, the restless lapping of the water.  But through it all she now heard a much smaller sound quite close, a regular tick, tick.  She glanced at the parcel she had forgotten, then in an instant, as a sudden idea occurred to her, she had the paper off.  Yes, it was.  It was Johnny’s great old-fashioned gold watch, with the fetter chain dangling at the end.

She stood quite still with the thing in her hand, her mouth set straight, and her eyes growing glitteringly bright.  The round gilded face stared up at her, reminding her in some grotesque way of Johnny; poor, generous, honest, foolish old Johnny!  She looked away quickly, a sudden desire not to go with this moon-faced companion took possession of her—­a desire not to go at all, a horrible new-born doubt about it.