ious without appearing to be so, was resigned to this
apprenticeship.

Professor Tartlet, generally so firm on his limbs, had lost all his
dancing equilibrium. He had lost all his usual self-possession, and
tried in vain to recover it; he even tottered on the carpet of his room
as if he were already on the floor of a cabin, rolling and pitching on
the ocean.

As for William W. Kolderup, since he had arrived at a decision, he had
become very uncommunicative, especially to his nephew. The closed lips,
and eyes half hidden beneath their lids, showed that there was some
fixed idea in the head where generally floated the highest commercial
speculations.

"Ah! you want to travel," muttered he every now and then; "travel
instead of marrying and staying at home! Well, you shall travel."

Preparations were immediately begun.

In the first place, the itinerary had to be projected, discussed, and
settled.

Was Godfrey to go south, or east, or west? That had to be decided in the
first place.

If he went southwards, the Panama, California and British Columbia
Company, or the Southampton and Rio Janeiro Company would have to take
him to Europe.

If he went eastwards, the Union Pacific Railway would take him in a few
days to New York, and thence the Cunard, Inman, White Star,
Hamburg-American, or French-Transatlantic Companies would land him on
the shores of the old world.

If he went westwards, the Golden Age Steam Transoceanic would render it
easy for him to reach Melbourne, and thence he could get to the Isthmus
of Suez by the boats of the Peninsular and Oriental Company.

The means of transport were abundant, and thanks to their mathematical
agreement the round of the world was but a simple pleasure tour.

But it was not thus that the nephew and heir of the nabob of Frisco was
to travel.

No! William W. Kolderup possessed for the requirements of his business
quite a fleet of steam and sailing-vessels. He had decided that one of
these ships should be "put at the disposal" of Godfrey Morgan, as if he
were a prince of the blood, travelling for his pleasure--at the expense
of his father's subjects.

By his orders the _Dream_, a substantial steamer of 600 tons and 200
horse-power, was got ready. It was to be commanded by Captain Turcott, a
tough old salt, who had already sailed in every latitude in every sea. A
thorough sailor, this friend of tornadoes, cyclones, and typhoons, had
already spent of his fifty years of l