all the other berths were taken.
He was here a while ago, and said he would give his final answer in an
hour. It is time he was here."

"In that case we will wait a while," continued Mr. Solomons. "I engaged
my passage a month ago, and the ship was half full then."

"Couldn't I find some place on board?" I asked, anxiously.

"I don't know; the officers sometimes give up their rooms for a
consideration. I gave the third officer five pounds for his room the
last time I came over from Liverpool."

"I have concluded to take that room," said a young man, rather dashily
dressed, as he rushed hastily up to the counter.

My heart sank within me, for the announcement seemed to mean that I had
lost my passage. But I was determined to go on board of the steamer, and
make an arrangement with any officer who was open to a treaty for the
use of his state-room.

"You take both berths?" added the clerk.

"No," replied the young man, glancing at me, as I had seen him do
several times before.

"Then here is your chance," said the clerk to Mr. Solomons.

CHAPTER XXII.

IN WHICH ERNEST MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF E. DUNKSWELL.

MR. SOLOMONS examined the plan again to ascertain the locality of the
state-room which contained the unoccupied berth.

"It is on the other side of the ship from mine," said he. "But we can do
no better."

"Perhaps this gentleman will exchange with you," suggested the clerk.

"I am quite willing to take the young gentleman into my state-room,"
answered the stranger.

"Of course he will take the vacant berth in that room," added Mr.
Solomons, who did not seem to think that the offer of the stranger was
very magnanimous, since the berth in his room could be taken by the next
applicant, whether he was willing or not.

The clerk had written the receipt for the passage money paid him by the
young man, and pushed it across the counter towards him. The name on the
paper was E. Dunkswell. I confess that I was not particularly pleased
with Mr. Dunkswell, and did not care to occupy a state-room with him.
Besides being rather jauntily dressed, he wore too much jewelry to suit
my taste. His speech was somewhat peculiar, and I set him down as a fast
young man. He appeared to be about twenty-one years old, though possibly
he was more than that.

"I have the lower berth in this room," said Mr. Solomons, addressing the
stranger, and pointing to his room on the plan. "It is about the same
kind of a room a