dness, for I had asked him
to take a glass of wine, which he had read as a couple of bottles, I
ordered my bill, among the items of which stood conspicuously forth,
"Two bottles of old crusted port, fourteen shillings."

"Damned imposition!" said my hitherto anonymous friend. "Of all vices,
I abominate imposition the most. I shall pay for all this wine myself.
Here, wai-_terre_, pen and ink. Banking hours are over now; I have
nothing but a fifty pound bill about me. However, you shall have my
IOU. You see that I have made it out for one pound--you'll just hand me
the difference, six shillings. Your name, I think you said, was
Rattlin--Ralph Rattlin. A good name, a very good purser's name indeed.
There, Mr Rattlin, you have only to present that piece of paper when
you get on board to the head swab washer, and he'll give you either cash
for it, or slops."

I gave the gentleman who so much abhorred imposition six shillings in
return for his paper, which contained these words:

"I owe you twenty shillings. Josiah Cheeks, Major-General of the Horse
Marines, of his Majesty's ship, the _Merry Dun_, of Dover.--To Mr Ralph
Rattlin."

I carefully placed this precious document in my pocketbook, among my
one-pound notes, at that time the principal currency of the country; yet
could not help thinking that my friend cast an awfully hungry eye at the
pieces of paper. He had already commenced a very elaborate speech
prefatory to the request of a loan, when I cut him short, by telling him
that I had promised my god-mamma not to lend anyone a single penny until
I had been on board my ship six months, which was really the case. He
commended my sense of duty; and said it was of no manner of consequence,
as next morning he should be in possession of more than he should have
occasion for, and then a five or a ten-pound note would be at my
service. After vainly endeavouring to seduce me to the theatre, he made
a virtue of my obstinacy, and taking me by the arm, showed me to the
door of the hotel, where Captain Reud, of H.M.S. _Eos_ was located.

I was announced, and immediately ushered into a room where I saw a
sallow-visaged, compact, well-made little man, apparently not older than
two or three-and-twenty, sitting in the middle of the room, upon a black
quart bottle, the neck of which was on the floor, and the bottom forming
the uneasy and unstable seat. Without paying much attention to me,
every now and then he would give h