“To wile away the time till your father comes,” he said⁠—“pray is there much robbing and murdering of seamen about the waterside now?”

“No,” said Pleasant.

“Any?”

“Complaints of that sort are sometimes made, about Ratcliffe and Wapping and up that way. But who knows how many are true?”

“To be sure. And it don’t seem necessary.”

“That’s what I say,” observed Pleasant. “Where’s the reason for it? Bless the sailors, it ain’t as if they ever could keep what they have, without it.”

“You’re right. Their money may be soon got out of them, without violence,” said the man.