ould never allow him to give me the important
information I required. "There's boats, sir, plenty on 'em. I could
take you myself, and be thankful, and there's steamers calls at the
wharf every quarter of an hour or so through the day, from nine in the
morning, and takes you to London Bridge for threepence. It ain't many
minutes' walk to Fenchurch Street, and the train takes you straight to
the Docks."

After this we conversed on general seafaring matters. Mr. Smith was
not a very able-bodied man, in consequence of many years' service in
unhealthy climates, he said; and he complained of his trade as a
"poor one," and very different from what it had been in his father's
time, and before new London Bridge was built, which "anybody and
anything could get through" now without watermen's assistance. In his
present depressed condition he seemed to look back on his seafaring
days with pride and tender regret, and when we asked for tales of his
adventures he was checked by none of the scruples which withheld Mr.
Rowe from encouraging me to be a sailor.

"John's berth" proved to be a truckle-bed in a closet which just held
it, and which also held more nasty smells than I could have believed
there was room for. Opening the window seemed only to let in fresh
ones. When Fred threw himself on his face on the bed, and said, "What
a beastly hole!" and cried bitterly, I was afraid he was going to be
ill; and when I had said my prayers and persuaded him to say his and
come to bed, I thought that if we got safely through the night we
would make the return voyage with Mr. Rowe, and for the future leave
events and emergencies to those who liked danger and discomfort.

But when we woke with the sun shining on our faces, and through the
little window beheld it sparkling on the river below us, and on the
distant city, we felt all right again, and stuck to our plans.

"Let's go by the city," said Fred, "I should like to see some of the
town."

"If we don't get off before half-past nine we're lost," said I.

We found an unexpected clog in Mr. Smith, who seemed inclined to stick
to us and repeat the stories he had told us overnight. At about
half-past eight, however, he went off to his boat, saying he supposed
we should wait for Mr. Rowe, and when his wife went into a neighbour's
house I laid a shilling on the table, and Fred and I slipped out and
made our way to the pier.

Mr. Rowe was not there, and a church clock near struck nine. Thi