Page:The water-babies.djvu/223

THE WATER BABIES her cap, who was not, of course, generally partial to soldiers; and she said very quietly, like a Quaker:—

"Friends, it is borne upon my mind that that is a truly brave man."

Now, you may fancy that Tom was quite good when he had everything that he could want or wish: but you would be very much mistaken. Being quite comfortable is a very good thing; but it does not make people good. Indeed, it sometimes makes them naughty as it has made the people in America; and as it made the people in the Bible, who waxed fat and kicked like horses overfed and underworked. And I am very sorry to say that this happened to little Tom. For he grew so fond of the sea-bullseyes and sea-lollipops that his foolish little head could think of nothing else; and he was always longing for more, and wondering when the strange lady would come and give him some, and what she would give him, and how much, and whether she would give him more than the others. And he thought of nothing but lollipops by day, and dreamt of nothing else by night—and what happened then?

That he began to watch the lady to see where she kept the sweet things: and began hiding, and sneaking, and following her about, and pretending to be looking the other way, or going after something else, till he found out that she kept them in a beautiful mother-of-pearl cabinet away in a deep crack of the rocks.

And he longed to go to the cabinet, and yet he was afraid; and then he longed again, and was less afraid; 197