etting ready to move out of dock, it being
close upon high water. Captain Seaford was not on board. He was still
ill, and it was understood that he would join us at Gravesend. Mr Ward
was on board, according to promise, to see me off.

"I wish, my dear Mr Ralph, that you would make me your banker," he
said, after shaking hands, and leading me aside. I was not aware that
he had already paid a considerable sum towards the premium required by
the owners, though in my case they liberally lowered it.

I told him that I hoped to get assistance from my grandfather in the
Mauritius, and that I ought not to take further advantage of his
kindness.

"It is you who do me the favour. Mr Ralph," he answered warmly. "You
may, indeed you are certain to want money at the Cape or elsewhere. You
cannot carry out your object without it, depend on that, and so you see
I have already directed William Henley to honour your drafts on me; and
here, my dear Mr Ralph, I know that you will pardon an old man who made
all he possesses through your father's means, take this little bag, it
contains only twenty sovereigns--a mere trifle. Sew it up carefully in
a belt about you; very likely you may find them useful. Sovereigns go
everywhere, remember. They are just bright from the bank, and full
weight. Oh no, no; don't thank me--there's a good boy--just take them,
and stow them away at once. That matter is settled; not another word--
not another word."

Thus he liberally and delicately made me a present which I could not
help feeling might be of the greatest service to me. I shall have to
mention several valuable and expensive presents which I afterwards found
he had made me.

"But I thought that you suffered as did my father when the bank failed."

"Ah, well, I did lose something, certainly," he answered quickly; "but
that would be but a bad excuse for not trying to do as much good as I
can with the remainder which Providence has allowed me to retain. Ah,
yes, I know people do make it an excuse, but it is a very bad one, and
will not prove valid, I suspect, in the day of judgment. That is the
time we should always be looking forward to, Mr Ralph; and we should
ask ourselves, whatever we are doing, How will this stand the test on
that great day? They have begun, sir, to cast off the wharfs.
Good-bye, dear Mr Ralph. May you be preserved from all danger, and be
successful in your search. Mr Herbert will go with you to Gravesend,