I saw by his face that he had no lie ready for me , though he was hard at work preparing one ; and I think I was about to tell him so , when we were interrupted by a knocking at the door . Bidding my uncle sit where he was , I went to open it , and found on the doorstep a half-grown boy in sea-clothes . He had no sooner seen me than he began to dance some steps of the sea-hornpipe -LRB- which I had never before heard of far less seen -RRB- , snapping his fingers in the air and footing it right cleverly . For all that , he was blue with the cold ; and there was something in his face , a look between tears and laughter , that was highly pathetic and consisted ill with this gaiety of manner . `` What cheer , mate ? '' says he , with a cracked voice . I asked him soberly to name his pleasure . `` O , pleasure ! '' says he ; and then began to sing : `` For it 's my delight , of a shiny night , In the season of the year . '' `` Well , '' said I , `` if you have no business at all , I will even be so unmannerly as to shut you out . '' `` Stay , brother ! '' he cried . `` Have you no fun about you ? or do you want to get me thrashed ? I 've brought a letter from old Heasyoasy to Mr. Belflower . '' He showed me a letter as he spoke . `` And I say , mate , '' he added , `` I 'm mortal hungry . '' `` Well , '' said I , `` come into the house , and you shall have a bite if I go empty for it . '' With that I brought him in and set him down to my own place , where he fell-to greedily on the remains of breakfast , winking to me between whiles , and making many faces , which I think the poor soul considered manly . Meanwhile , my uncle had read the letter and sat thinking ; then , suddenly , he got to his feet with a great air of liveliness , and pulled me apart into the farthest corner of the room .
`` Read that , '' XXXXX he , and put the letter in my hand .
Have cheer considered cried interrupted mate said seen showed shut