r Ralph, till we come back," he observed as we were
about leaving the room; so patting Solon on the head, and making him lie
down on the rug, I saw that he clearly understood that he was to stay
where he was.

Mr Ward said very little during our walk to the Exchange. He went up
into Lloyds' room, leaving me waiting on the pavement at the foot of the
stairs. He was not long absent.

"Come along, Mr Ralph; it is possible we may be successful," was all he
said, as he hurried me off to Billiter Street, and Saint Helen's, and to
one or two other places in the neighbourhood, where some of the large
ship-brokers have their offices.

He made a great variety of inquiries at a considerable number of
offices, where he seemed always to be kindly received; but as he
invariably spoke in a low tone of voice, and was answered in the same, I
did not exactly comprehend the tenor of the information he obtained. I
only know that he exhibited a great deal of patience and perseverance in
going about from office to office, in waiting till some one was at
leisure to speak to him, and in asking questions. I made some remark to
that effect.

"Yes, Mr Ralph," he replied. "We have in the city to exercise patience
as well as perseverance. We have often to hurry along as fast as our
legs can carry us, for ten minutes, while perhaps we may at the end of
it be kept waiting for an hour before we can speak to the person we have
come to see; but you will understand that if we had not hurried along at
first, we might have had to wait two hours, or have missed the interview
altogether. Sailors are tried much in the same way, I fancy, as you
will learn when making a voyage. Sometimes they get a fair breeze, and
run before it for many days; and then they fall into a calm, and have to
float about doing nothing, or they are driven back by contrary winds,
and lose all the ground they have gained. Such is our voyage through
life, Mr Ralph; and it is better to know beforehand what we are likely
to meet with, and be prepared for it. That is the reason why I wish to
draw your attention to the subject, my dear young gentleman, and to urge
you to be prepared. Because the sun shines sometimes, and we have a
fair breeze, we must not suppose that the sun will always be shining, or
that we shall at all times enjoy a favourable wind."

These remarks were made by the kind old man as we sat waiting in one of
the offices to see the principal, to whom he was w