"I want to know." "See ?" echoed the Captain, snorting out the word somehow with suppressed indignation.

"Well, ma'am, to tell you the truth, we saw nothing but some fragments of old pottery--" "Just like broken pieces of flower-pots, auntie," interrupted Master Bob in his eagerness.

"The same as you have at the bottom of the garden." "Yes," continued the old sailor, "that's exactly what these much exaggerated `remains' resembled more than anything else, I assure you, ma'am.

Of course, all these bits of earthenware were arranged in order and labelled and all that; but I couldn't make head or tail of them." "Perhaps you do not understand archaeology ?" suggested Mrs Gilmour, smiling at his description.

"That's the rayson they didn't interest you, sure!" "P'r'aps not, ma'am," he replied with the utmost good temper.