e discomforts of a ship passing through the riggers' hands. One word
more, my boy. Your father cannot, I suppose, afford you a very liberal
allowance of pocket-money; I shall therefore supplement what he gives
you by an allowance of a hundred a year out of my own pocket for the
present, that being in my opinion quite as much as a lad of your age
ought to spend. At the same time, understand me, if you should by any
chance be in difficulties and require a further sum, you may freely draw
on me; provided of course that the difficulty is not of your own making,
or of a dishonourable nature--but there, I do not think I need fear that
of you, Ralph."

This was on the day previous to my starting for Portsmouth. It was
arranged that I should go down by the coach; Sir Peregrine at that time
strongly disapproving of midshipmen driving down in private carriages,
or even posting down to join their ships--"it would be quite time enough
for that sort of thing when I had a ship of my own," he considered. We
were both accordingly on the move early next morning, the old gentleman
insisting on going with me to the coach-office, and seeing me fairly
under way. While sitting at breakfast he handed me a letter for Captain
Hood, my new skipper, who it appeared was an intimate friend of Sir
Peregrine's--with the contents of which, however, I was not made
acquainted. He ate very little, devoting the limited time at our
disposal to the bestowal upon me of such good advice as his knowledge
and experience of the service suggested--advice, the value and benefit
of which, I had frequent after occasion to acknowledge. As we rose from
the table, he opened a drawer in his secretary, and drew from it a
sealed packet which he handed me, saying, "Slip this into your pocket,
Ralph, and take care of it; you may open it as soon as you like after
you have joined your ship."

We drove to the coach-office in his own carriage, both of us being
unusually silent on the way. For my own part, I candidly confess I felt
the parting keenly, the dear old boy having completely won my heart by
his altogether unexpected kindness; and that organ was too full to
permit of my then entering upon a light and trivial conversation; while
false shame prevented my giving utterance to those feelings of reverence
and regard which were agitating my breast. Just at the last moment Sir
Peregrine brightened up again, seeming to have a lot of things to say
which he had forgott