"I feel as young as ever I did."
Mrs. Finch said that anybody with arf an eye could see that, and then she
looked at a kettle that was singing on the 'ob.
"I s'pose you gentlemen wouldn't care for a cup o' cocoa?" she ses,
turning to them.
Ginger Dick and Peter both said that they liked it better than anything
else, and, arter she 'ad got out the cups and saucers and a tin o' cocoa,
Ginger held the kettle and poured the water in the cups while she stirred
them, and old Sam sat looking on 'elpless.
"It does seem funny to see you drinking cocoa, captin," ses Ginger, as
old Sam took his cup.
"Ho!" ses Sam, firing up; "and why, if I might make so bold as to ask?"
"'Cos I've generally seen you drinking something out of a bottle," ses
Ginger.
"Now, look 'ere," ses Sam, starting up and spilling some of the hot cocoa
over 'is lap.
"A ginger-beer bottle," ses Peter Russet, making faces at Ginger to keep
quiet.
"Yes, o' course, that's wot I meant," ses Ginger.
Old Sam wiped the cocoa off 'is knees without saying a word, but his
weskit kept going up and down till Peter Russet felt quite sorry for 'im.
"There's nothing like it," he ses to Mrs. Finch. "It was by sticking to
ginger-beer and milk and such-like that Captain Small 'ad command of a
ship afore 'e was twenty-five."
"Lor'!" ses Mrs. Finch.
She smiled at old Sam till Peter got uneasy agin, and began to think
p'r'aps 'e'd been praising 'im too much.
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