As for this
first night, I was positively almost drunk with words, and remained
nearly the whole of it arranging and fixing the new ideas that I had
acquired. My feelings towards Jackson also were changed--that is, I no
longer felt hatred or ill-will against him. These were swallowed up in
the pleasure which he had afforded me, and I looked upon him as a
treasure beyond all price,--not but that many old feelings towards him
returned at intervals, for they were not so easily disposed of; but
still I would not for the world have lost him until I had obtained from
him all possible knowledge; and if his wound did not look well when I
removed the bandage, I was much more distressed than he was. Indeed,
there was every prospect of our ultimately being friends, from our
mutual dependence on each other. It was useless on his part, in his
present destitute condition, to nourish feelings of animosity against
one on whose good offices he was now so wholly dependent, or on my part,
against one who was creating for me, I may say, new worlds for
imagination and thought to dwell on. On the following morning. Jackson
narrated in substance (as near as I can recollect) as follows:--

"I was not intended for a sailor. I was taught at a good school, and
when I was ten years old, I was put into a house of business as a clerk,
where I remained at the desk all day long, copying into ledgers and
day-books, in fact, writing what was required of me. This house was
connected with the South American trade."

"Where is South America?" said I.

"You had better let me tell my story," replied Jackson, "and after I
have done, you can ask any questions you like; but if you stop me, it
will take a week to finish it; yesterday we lost the whole day."

"That's very true," replied I, "then I will do so."

"There were two other clerks in the counting-house--the head clerk,
whose name was Manvers, and your father, who was in the counting-house
but a few months before me. Our master, whose name was Evelyn, was very
particular with both your father and myself, scanning our work daily,
and finding fault when we deserved it. This occasioned a rivalry
between us, which made us both very active, and I received praise quite
as often as he did. On Sunday, Mr Evelyn used to ask your father and
me to spend the day. We went to church in the forenoon and dined with
him. He had a daughter a little younger than we were. She was your
mother. Both of us,