il he is ready to embark in the
uniform of his rank."

"Be it so, Mr Culpepper; let your wife take care of him until all is
complete, and his chest is ready. You'll oblige me by arranging about
his mess."

"Your wishes shall be most strictly attended to, Captain Delmar,"
replied Mr Culpepper, with another profound inclination, which made me
feel very much inclined to laugh.

"If you have no further orders, Captain Delmar, I will now take the
young gentleman with me."

"Nothing more, Mr Culpepper--good morning," replied Captain Delmar, who
neither said how d'ye do to me when I came in, or good bye when I went
away in company with Mr Culpepper. I had yet to learn what a thing of
no consequence was a "sucking Nelson."

I followed Mr Culpepper down stairs, who desired me to remain with the
coxswain, who was standing under the archway, while he spoke to the
captain's steward.

"Well," said Bob Cross, "what's the ticket, youngster,--are you to go
abroad with me?"

"No," said I; "I am to stay on shore with that old chap, who does
nothing but bob his head up and down. Who is he?"

"That's our nipcheese."

"Nipcheese!"

"Yes; nipcheese means purser of the ship--you'll find all that out
by-and-by; you've got lots to larn, and, by way of a hint, make him your
friend if you can, for he earwigs the captain in fine style."

Perceiving that I did not understand him, Bob Cross continued: "I mean
that our captain's very fond of the officers paying him great respect,
and he likes all that bowing and scraping; he don't like officers or men
to touch their hats, but to take them right off their heads when they
speak to him. You see, he's a sprig of nobility, as they call it, and
what's more he's also a post-captain, and thinks no small beer of
himself; so don't forget what I say--here comes the purser."

Mr Culpepper now came out, and, taking my hand, led me away to his own
house, which was at Southsea. He did not speak a word during the walk,
but appeared to be in deep cogitation: at last we arrived at his door.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Why is it that I detain the reader with Mr Culpepper and his family? I
don't know, but I certainly have an inclination to linger over every
little detail of events which occurred upon my first plunging into the
sea of life, just as naked boys on the New River side stand shivering a
while, before they can make up their minds to dash into the unnatural
element; for men are not ducks, a