but I did not think so at the time.

We at length reached Water Street, and entered the office of Tallow,
Candlemas, and Co. It was a dingy-looking place, consisting of a small
outer room, the walls covered over with posters announcing the sailing
of ships and other information. In it was an enclosed space, behind
which sat on high stools two venerable-looking clerks, busily engaged in
writing. Speaking a few words to them, Mr Butterfield passed on to an
inner room, where, at a long desk running from one side to the other
were arranged eight or ten persons of various ages, all scribbling away
as fast as their pens could move. Their thin and pallid faces did not
prepossess me in favour of the life they were leading. At the farther
end, in a darker corner, was a vacant stool.

"That will be your place, Richard, when you come here to-morrow or next
day," said Mr Butterfield. "You will gradually rise, till one day I
may hope to see you one of my head clerks."

I looked askance at the dark corner, and I then scanned the faces of the
occupants of the other seats. I could say nothing likely to please Mr
Butterfield, and I therefore kept silence.

"You will begin work on Monday. Now go back to your aunt, who wishes to
have you with her for the present."

I longed to say, "I thought, sir, you were going to talk to my aunt
about my going to sea;" but before I could speak, Mr Butterfield,
turning round, walked into his private office and left me standing by
myself and looking, I felt, very foolish. As I did not wish to undergo
a long inspection from the younger clerks, who were peering at me from
over the desks, I passed out, breathing more freely when I found myself
in the open street.

Of course I ought to have returned home; but instead of that I made my
way down to the docks to amuse myself as before, by looking at the
vessels. I was not long in finding out the "Emu." She was now
considerably lower in the water, having apparently got most of her cargo
on board, although there were still some bales and packages lying
alongside ready to be shipped. I had a great longing to go on board and
try to see the captain, and to ask him if he would take me. I could see
no one, however, whom I could imagine to be the captain; and I
therefore, after walking up and down the quay for some time, and looking
at a number of other vessels, guessed by my hunger that it must be near
luncheon-time, and took my way homewards. On