"Dis _Water-Lily_ ob ours a leetle ober-blown, Dennis, I'm tinking,"
said Alfonso, showing all his white teeth. "Hope she not fall to pieces
dis voyage."
"Hope not, Alfonso. She hasn't lost her scent, anyhow!" At which
allusion to our unsavoury cargo Alfonso yelled with laughter.
For our favour with the cook (and it means hot coffee, dry socks, and
other little comforts being in favour with the cook) we had chiefly to
thank Dennis. Our coal-black comrade loved jokes much, but his own
dignity just a little more; and the instinctive courtesy which was as
natural to Dennis as the flow of his fun, made him particularly
acceptable to Alfonso.
And for the rest, we came to feel that if we could keep the _Water-Lily_
afloat to the end of her voyage, most other considerations were minor
ones.
CHAPTER X.
"May it please GOD not to make our friends so happy as to forget
us!"--_Old Proverb_.
The _Water-Lily_ was re-christened by Dennis, with many flourishes of
speech and a deck tub of salt water long before we reached our journey's
end.
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