skeleton dancing in fetters, and his smiles to the grins thereof.

He had returned to England about a month before, in obedience to the
proclamation which had been set forth for that purpose (and certainly
not before it was needed), that, "whosoever had children, wards,
etc., in the parts beyond the seas, should send in their names to the
ordinary, and within four months call them home again." So Eustace was
now staying with his father at Chapel, having, nevertheless, his private
matters to transact on behalf of the virtuous society by whom he
had been brought up; one of which private matters had brought him to
Bideford the night before.

So he sat down beside Amyas on the pebbles, and looked at him all over
out of the corners of his eyes very gently, as if he did not wish to
hurt him, or even the flies on his back; and Amyas faced right round,
and looked him full in the face with the heartiest of smiles, and held
out a lion's paw, which Eustace took rapturously, and a great shaking of
hands ensued; Amyas gripping with a great round fist, and a quiet quiver
thereof, as much as to say, "I AM glad to see you;" and Eustace pinching
hard with white, straight fingers, and sawing the air violently up and
down, as much as to say, "DON'T YOU SEE how glad I am to see you?" A
very different greeting from the former.

"Hold hard, old lad," said Amyas, "before you break my elbow. And where
do you come from?"

"From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in
it," said he, with a little smile and nod of mysterious self-importance.

"Like the devil, eh? Well, every man has his pattern. How is my uncle?"