and offered my services in a wild sort
of way. They must have thought that I was drunk, for nearly all of them
said gruffly that they did not want me.

Dinner time drew near, but no one had given me a job, and no wonder, for
the way in which I tried to get one was not likely to be successful. At
last I resolved to beg. Observing a fat, red-faced old gentleman coming
along the pier, I made up to him boldly. He carried a cane with a large
gold knob on the top of it. That gave me hope, "for of course," thought
I, "he must be rich." His nose, which was exactly the colour and shape
of the gold knob on his cane, was stuck in the centre of a round,
good-natured countenance, the mouth of which was large and firm; the
eyes bright and blue. He frowned as I went forward hat in hand; but I
was not to be driven back; the thought of my starving mother gave me
power to crush down my rising shame. Yet I had no reason to be ashamed.
I was willing to work, if only I could have got employment.

Stopping in front of the old gentleman, I was about to speak when I
observed him quietly button up his breeches pocket. The blood rushed to
my face, and, turning quickly on my heel, I walked away without uttering
a word.

"Hallo!" shouted a gruff voice just as I was moving away.

I turned and observed that the shout was uttered by a broad
rough-looking jack-tar, a man of about two or three and thirty, who had
been sitting all the forenoon on an old cask smoking his pipe and
basking in the sun.

"Hallo!" said he again.

"Well," said I.

"Wot d'ye mean, youngster, by goin' on in that there fashion all the
mornin', a-botherin' everybody, and makin' a fool o' yourself like that?
eh!"

"What's that to you?" said I savagely, for my heart was sore and heavy,
and I could not stand the interference of a stranger.

"Oh! it's nothin' to me of course," said the sailor, picking his pipe
quietly with his clasp-knife; "but come here, boy, I've somethin' to say
to ye."

"Well, what is it?" said I, going up to him somewhat sulkily.

The man looked at me gravely through the smoke of his pipe, and said,
"You're in a passion, my young buck, that's all; and, in case you didn't
know it, I thought I'd tell ye."

I burst into a fit of laughter. "Well, I believe you're not far wrong,
but I'm better now."

"Ah, that's right," said the sailor, with an approving nod of his head,
"always confess when you're in the wrong. Now, younker, let me give yo