overing letter and other documents
for perusal at his leisure.

"Very well, Mr Grenvile--good name that, by the by--excellent name--
name to be lived up to," he remarked when I had answered him. "Come and
dine with me at the Pen to-night. I should like to have a little
further talk with you. Seven o'clock sharp."

Returning on board, I found that during my absence the health officers
had been off, and had at first manifested a very decided disposition to
make things exceedingly unpleasant for me because I had gone ashore
before receiving pratique. However, the explanation afforded by Jack,
that I was the bearer of important dispatches for the admiral, coupled
with the fact that we had a clean bill of health, had mollified them,
and as a matter of fact I heard no more about it.

Having effected a change of clothing, I hailed a shore boat to come
alongside, and in her proceeded to Kingston. The Admiral's Pen is
situated some distance up the hill at the back of the town, and as I had
no fancy for walking so far I decided that, if possible, I would hire
some sort of conveyance to take me there. The question was: Where was I
to obtain one? for although there were plenty of vehicles in the streets
I could see no sign of the existence of such an establishment as a
livery stable anywhere. At length, after I had been searching for
nearly half an hour, I decided to enquire, and, looking about me for the
most likely and suitable place at which to do so, I saw a large two-
story building, the lower portion of which seemed to consist of offices,
while, from the mat curtains which sheltered the balcony above, and the
tables and chairs which stood therein, I guessed that the upper floor
was the private part of the establishment. A glazed door giving access
to the ground-floor part of the building bore upon it in gilt letters
the words:

"Todd & McGregor, General Merchants."

I decided to enter. I found myself in a large warehouse-like place
reeking of many odours, those of sugar and coffee predominating, while
whole tiers of bags containing these commodities were stacked against
the side walls, a huge conglomeration of miscellaneous goods and
articles lumbering the remainder of the floor. Picking my way through
these, I reached the back part of the building, which I found
partitioned off to form an office, wherein a number of men, some in
gingham coats and some in their shirt sleeves, were busily at work
writing letter