But though, from the keen sense of my situation as a man-of-war's-man all this about my keeping myself in the _back_ ground was true enough, yet I had no idea of hiding my diffident merits _under_ ground.

I became alarmed at the old Yeoman's goggling glances, lest he should drag me down into tarry perdition in his hideous store-rooms.

But this fate was providentially averted, owing to mysterious causes which I never could fathom..