send your son to sea, sir," he continued to my father. "As
Mr Cruden says, I'll look after him as if he was my own boy, sir. I'll
keep him from mischief, sir. Lads always gets into mischief if they
can; but with me, sir, they can't--I don't let 'em. I look after them,
sir; and when they knows my eye is on them, they behaves themselves.
That's my principle, sir; and now you know me."

He said this in an off-hand, bluff, hearty way, which made my father
fully believe that he had fallen in with a prize--indeed, that he was
supremely fortunate in having secured so kind a protector for me. It
was finally arranged that he was to pay Captain Elihu Swales the sum of
fifteen pounds; in consideration of which, in addition to any service I
could be of, I was to mess at his table, and to learn what I could of a
seaman's duty, till the ship returned to Liverpool.

The _Black Swan_, the name of Captain Elihu Swales' ship, would not be
ready for sea for some days, he informed my father; and till she was so,
as he was compelled to return home immediately, Mr Cruden kindly
undertook to board and lodge me at the rate of twelve shillings a week.
I was to go on board the _Black Swan_ every day, to see if I was wanted;
and I was to return to Mr Cruden's in the afternoon, or when I was not
wanted. My father considered this a very admirable arrangement, and was
perfectly confident that he had done the best circumstances would allow,
and that he had left me in safe and honourable hands.

On our way to our inn, we met one of the brokers to whom we had spoken
in the morning. He asked if we had found what we wanted. "Oh yes,"
replied my father, "an excellent man, Captain Swales, a friend of Mr
Cruden's--very superior--very superior indeed." The broker, I thought,
looked odd at this, and was at first apparently going to speak; but on
second thoughts he seemed to consider that it was no business of his,
and he passed on with a cold "Oh, really--good-day, sir." It was
afterwards only, perhaps, that his manner struck me; at the time I
supposed that it was usual to him.

We spent most of the afternoon in purchasing a sea-chest and an outfit
for me, according to a list furnished by Mr Cruden, to whose office my
traps were transferred forthwith. We did not go down to see the _Black
Swan_, because Captain Swales said she was a long way off, and was not
fit to receive visitors, but that she would be in a few days. He then
remarked that she