d, enlarged, every way altered.
Things alter so fast in these times."

"You think so," returned the captain, with compassion; "but you should
come over and see _me_ afore you talk about _that_. Wa'al, now. This
desk, this paper,--this paper, this desk," said the captain, ruminating
and walking about, and looking, in his uneasy abstraction, into Mr.
Pettifer's hat on a table, among other things. "This desk, this
paper,--this paper, this desk," the captain continued, musing and roaming
about the room, "I'd give--"

However, he gave nothing, but took up his steward's hat instead, and
stood looking into it, as if he had just come into church. After that he
roamed again, and again said, "This desk, belonging to this house of
Dringworth Brothers, America Square, London City--"

Mr. Pettifer, still strangely moved, and now more moved than before, cut
the captain off as he backed across the room, and bespake him thus:--

"Captain Jorgan, I have been wishful to engage your attention, but I
couldn't do it. I am unwilling to interrupt Captain Jorgan, but I must
do it. _I_ knew something about that house."

The captain stood stock-still and looked at him,--with his (Mr.
Pettifer's) hat under his arm.

"You're aware," pursued his steward, "that I was once in the broking
business, Captain Jorgan?"

"I was aware," said the captain, "that you had failed in that calling,
and in half the businesses going, Tom."

"Not quite so, Captain Jorgan; but I failed in the broking business. I
was partners with my brother, sir. There was a sale of old office
furniture at Dringworth Brothers' when the house was moved from America
Square, and me and my brother made what we call in the trade a Deal
there, sir. And I'll make bold to say, sir, that the only thing I ever
had from my brother, or from any relation,--for my relations have mostly
taken property from me instead of giving me any,--was an old desk we
bought at that same sale, with a crack in it. My brother wouldn't have
given me even that, when we broke partnership, if it had been worth
anything."

"Where is that desk now?" said the captain.

"Well, Captain Jorgan," replied the steward, "I couldn't say for certain
where it is now; but when I saw it last,--which was last time we were
outward bound,--it was at a very nice lady's at Wapping, along with a
little chest of mine which was detained for a small matter of a bill
owing."

The captain, instead of paying that rapt att