'Are you a sailor, sir ?' he asked.

He seemed a little disappointed by the shake of the head that replied to him.

'Not a sailor?
I judged from your sunburnt face that you might be.

Are you in earnest, sir ?' 'I do assure you that I am, and do entreat you to believe that I am, in plain earnest.' 'I know very little of the world, sir,' returned the other, who had a weak and quavering voice.

'I am merely passing on, like the shadow over the sun-dial.