ks, say, as I was seated on a high stool, pen in hand,
leaning over my desk in the office of Messrs. Crank, Trunnion & Swab,
general merchants, of Liverpool Harry addressed the senior partner, Mr
Peter Crank, who had just then stepped out of his private room with a
bundle of papers in his hand into the counting-house, where I, with a
dozen other clerks, senior and junior, were driving our quills as fast
as we could move them over the paper, or adding up columns of figures,
or making calculations, as the case might be.

As I turned my head slightly, I could see both Mr Crank and Harry.
They afforded a strange contrast. Harry was tall, well-built, had a
handsome countenance, with a pleasant expression which betokened his
real character, for he was as kind, honest, and generous a young fellow
as ever lived--the only son of his mother, the widow of a naval officer
killed in action. She had come to Liverpool for the sake of giving a
home to Harry, who had been for some time in the employment of the firm.
The difference between Mr Crank and Harry was indeed most conspicuous
in their personal appearance. Whereas Harry was tall, Mr Crank was
short and stout; he had a bald head, shining as if it had been carefully
polished, a round face, with a florid complexion, and a nose which was
allowed by his warmest friends to be a snub; but he had a good mouth,
bright blue eyes, often twinkling with humour, which seemed to look
through and through those he addressed, while his brow exhibited a
considerable amount of intellect. Had not he possessed that, he would
not have been at the head of the firm of Crank, Trunnion & Swab.

"Brought home, did you say, by Godfrey Magor? What has happened to
Captain Rig and the first mate?"

"Both died from fever while up the Nunn, as did all hands except himself
and three others. So Mr Magor told me; and the survivors were all so
weak, that he could not have brought the vessel home had he not shipped
six Kroomen. He had also a narrow escape from pirates, who actually
boarded his vessel, when a man-of-war heaving in sight, they made off
without plundering her or killing any one."

"Bless my heart! I'm sorry to hear about Captain Rig's death. The poor
man remained longer up the river than he should have done, no doubt
about that I have over and over again charged the masters of our vessels
to be careful in that respect, but they won't attend to what I say. Let
me see! that makes the fifth wh