Andrew gave a
self-satisfied smile; "but the sooner you begin, the better."

"But, Mr Spurling, I should like much to have my jacket mended," I
observed.

"So you shall; I will do it while you take your first lesson in Arabic."
And Andrew, without rising from his seat, shuffled along in a curious
fashion to a bookcase hanging against the wall, from which he drew forth
a well-thumbed volume. "It's as precious as gold," he observed. "Don't
be daunted by the strange characters," he added, as he gave the book
into my hands. "Now, you and Master Halliday stand there; while I
stitch, you shall learn the first principles of the language."

Then taking my jacket on his knee, and needle and thread in hand, he
commenced a lecture, from which, as Dick and I listened attentively, we
really gained a considerable amount of information. It was, I
afterwards discovered, in the first pages of the book, which he knew by
heart; so he had not to draw his eyes from his work. I grew so
interested, that I was quite sorry when my jacket was mended.

From that day onward, Dick and I became constant visitors at Andrew's
shop after school-hours, and really made considerable progress in
Arabic. I believe, indeed, that we should before long have advanced
almost as far as our master had done,--for he had three or four
languages in hand at the same time, to which he added a new one every
year or so. My school-days, however, came suddenly to an end. I had
always had a hankering for the navy, though I did not talk much about
it. An old friend of my father, who had just been appointed to the
command of a frigate destined for the Mediterranean, called before
starting for Portsmouth.

"I will take one of your boys, Blore, as an offering to Neptune."

My father looked at me. "Charlie is rather too old, I fear, to enter
the navy," he observed.

"Oh no! Lord Dundonald was much older," I exclaimed. "Let me go."

"He will do; I will take him," said the captain. "He must work hard and
make up for lost time. He had better accompany me, and see the ship
fitted out."

My father was an old soldier; and my mother being a strong-minded,
active woman, directly my future captain left us all hands in the house
were set to work, down to the nursery-maid, to prepare my kit; while I
ran into the town to get my measure taken by Andrew Spurling, who
promised to have a "nautical cut" suit ready for me by the next day. I
had, in an impulse of gratitu