about, as if to try my powers; and felt myself a
gay and beautiful creature, free to range over the wide domains of
nature, clear of the trammels of parents or schoolmasters; and my heart
bounded within me at the thoughts of being left to enjoy, at my own
discretion, the very acme of all the pleasure that human existence can
afford; and I observe that in this, as in most other cases, I met with
that disappointment which usually attends us. True it is, that in the
days of my youth, I did enjoy myself. I was happy for a time, if
happiness it could be called; but dearly have I paid for it. I
contracted a debt, which I have been liquidating by instalments ever
since; nor am I yet emancipated. Even the small portion of felicity
that fell to my lot on this memorable morning was brief in duration, and
speedily followed by chagrin.

But to return to my uniform. I had arrayed myself in it; my dirk was
belted round my waist; a cocked-hat, of an enormous size, stuck on my
head; and, being perfectly satisfied with my own appearance at the last
survey which I had made in the glass, I first rang for the chambermaid,
under pretence of telling her to make my room tidy, but, in reality,
that she might admire and compliment me, which she very wisely did; and
I was fool enough to give her half a crown and a kiss, for I felt myself
quite a man. The waiter, to whom the chambermaid had in all probability
communicated the circumstance, presented himself, and having made a low
bow, offered the same compliments, and received the same reward, save
the kiss. Boots would, in all probability, have come in for his share,
had he been in the way, for I was fool enough to receive all their fine
speeches as if they were my due, and to pay for them at the same time in
ready money. I was a gudgeon and they were sharks; and more sharks
would soon have been about me, for I heard them, as they left the room,
call "boots" and "ostler," of course to assist in lightening my purse.

But I was too impatient to wait on my captain and see my ship so I
bounced down the stairs, and in the twinkling of an eye was on my way to
Stonehouse, where my vanity received another tribute, by a raw recruit
of marine raising his hand to his head, as he passed by me. I took it
as it was meant, raised my hat off my head, and shuffled by with much
self-importance. One consideration, I own, mortified me--this was that
the _natives_ did not appear to admire me half so much