deration, and he knew that his so doing would gratify my
mother, and that having to entertain him would assist to keep up her
spirits, and prevent her from thinking too much of her forlorn
condition. Mr Ward would not let me go back to Blackheath till my
uniform was ready, when he made me put it on, not a little to my inward
satisfaction, and said that he would send my other things on board the
_Orion_. He made during the day many minute inquiries about my kit, and
the various articles I possessed; and in a list he showed me in his
lodgings, he made me point out what I did not possess, and insisted in
supplying the deficiency. He also added all sorts of odds and ends, and
many little articles which he said William Henley told him that I should
find useful.

The next day both he and Mr Henley came down to Blackheath to dine with
us. How gentle and kind they both were! That strong, weather-beaten,
dark-whiskered young man, who, from his appearance, I should have
expected to have a loud gruff voice, spoke on the contrary in the most
quiet, pleasant way; and in a very little time, after having at first
eyed him askance, the younger children collected round him, and were
soon listening eagerly to an account he was giving them of some of his
sea adventures, and which, when I overheard, I found he was exactly
adapting to their comprehensions. A very pleasant afternoon was spent.
My mother and sisters did their best to amuse Mr Ward, and to show him
how much they appreciated his kindness to me. They were also, as I knew
they would be, very much pleased with Mr Henley; and I am sure that the
kind old gentleman must have been satisfied with the result of his
unusual excursion. He asked my mother's leave, as he was wishing her
good-bye, to be allowed to call in occasionally to see if he could be of
use to her or to any of the little ones, and just to hear also if she
had received any news of Mr Ralph. From the diffident way in which he
spoke, it might have been supposed that she was a lady of rank and
wealth, and that he was a humble person asking some great favour. Yet
there was certainly no false humility in anything he said. I am very
sure that he felt as he spoke, and that my mother's loss of property
made no difference in his sight, but rather, from the way she bore it,
raised her still higher in his estimation.

The next morning Herbert accompanied me and Solon once more on board the
_Orion_. She was just then g