Station, dwarfed somewhat
by the large sign of "WARD, BUTCHER," were in sight. We should soon be
away.

The solidity of ship's breakfast was an early fact among those I was
gleaning. Yesterday, an ample steak, with potatoes--and onions--had
been set before me, after the preparatory porridge; this day, two tough
sausages, with potatoes--and onions--were provided. Yet I fell to with
an appetite, and only hoped I should feel as able in the days to come.

The inert morning seemed suited to the curious quiet of the ship.
That quiet was, however, disturbed in undertone. The incessant tramp of
feet and sometimes the banging of gear were echoing. The final period,
in the main "all serene," could not be without its thousand and one
adjustments; though the holds, trimmed, I suppose, even to the steward's
satisfaction--he had been in high choler the night before at the attempted
delivery of meat to a store just made inaccessible by the delivery of
coal--now were covered with tarpaulins. I had time to meditate, and the
cold air recommended my cabin as the place.

To the Plate and back again, in a cargo ship! (To the Somme and back
again--that had seemed less surprising.) The voyage, no doubt, would be
more arduous than that in the leave-boat from Boulogne to Folkestone.
Would my resolution be equal to the greater strain on the system? I
suspected that the first few days might find me groaning within myself;
asking why I had left my draughty study, which was at least stationary?
what I had found amiss with the array of books for review--pleasant,
unjustly despised labour? Landlord, insurance agent, general dealer,
rags-and-bones, watch-and clock-repairer, bricklayer come to fix the
chimney, carpenter to take measurements for far-off bookshelves, secretary
of football for subscriptions, and many another familiar--in the middle
of an attempt to answer the question, "What is Poetry?"--should I be
considering them as unhonoured privileges? Repent, repent.

From the mild exercise, and a book, I was aroused by the brown skull-cap
of the steward, who in some pain of feature uttered round the door a
solemn "Well, I declare!" I had disregarded his bell--Jim had rung it; he
had rung it--for dinner.

There were friendly visitors afterwards. I was wished a good voyage, and
a better room--one more artistic, I think, was in the speaker's mind.
But comfort was cordially anticipated. The ship was not one of the older
sort that roll. The captai