spluttering, intensely yellow candle of very slender
dimensions, inserted in a black quart bottle. Beside it was placed a
battered bread-basket, containing some broken biscuit; and a piece of
villainously-scented cheese, distinguished by the name of purser's, lay
near it, in company with an old, blood-stained, worn-out tooth-brush,
and a shallow pewter wash-hand basin, filled with horridly dirty water.
For seats round this table there were no other substitutes than various
chests of various dimensions.

Of such sordid penury as I then witnessed I had read, but never supposed
I should be compelled to witness, much less to share. Notwithstanding
the closeness of this hole, it was excessively cold. There was not a
soul there to welcome me, the petty officers being all away on dockyard
duty. It might have been ten o'clock when I was first ushered into this
region of darkness, of chill and evil odours. I remained with my
surtout coat on, sitting on my chest with my hands clasped before me,
stiff with cold, and melancholy almost to tears. How much then I panted
for the breeze that blew over the heathy common where I had lately
wantoned, leaped, and laughed!

As I there sat, I fell into a deep and dream-like reverie. I could not
after a pause convince myself that all I saw around me was real. The
light that the single unsnuffed candle gave, became more dim and smoky.
I began to think that my spirit had most surely stepped into the
vestibule of the abode of shadows; and I wished to convince myself that
my body was far, far away sleeping in a pure atmosphere, and under a
friendly roof. Minute after minute cropped its weight heavily, like so
many pellets of lead, upon my disordered brain. I became confused--
perhaps I was nearly upon the point of syncope from the sudden change to
bad air. I felt that all I saw about me, if not real, would prove that
I was mad; and I feared that I should become so if the scene turned out
to be no illusion. At last I jumped up, as I felt my stupor and my
sickness increasing, exclaiming--"This is hell--and there's the devil!"
as I observed a hideous shining black face peering at me over the top of
the screen, grinning in such a manner, with a row of white teeth, that
reminded me of so many miniature tombstones stretching right across a
dark churchyard.

"No debbel, sar--my name, sar, Lillydew--vat you please vant, sar?--
steward to young gentlemen, sar. Will young massa have a lily-w