Story 8--Chapter 3.

The frigate was ordered home to be paid off. I had found out one thing,
that fortune will not secure uninterrupted happiness even to a
midshipman. I had begun to suspect, also, that the romantic notions I
had entertained of fame and glory were in a great degree illusory; at
all events, that there was a great deal of hard, matter-of-fact, and
somewhat dirty, disagreeable work to be gone through. I discussed with
Pearson the advisability of my leaving the service. He asked me what I
should do with myself if I did? I confessed that I did not know, and
that I had no desire to go back to school, to a private tutor, or to
college.

"Then stay in the service, and see the world," he answered. "I have
heard of a ship fitting for the Pacific, on board which my friends can
procure me a berth, and I have no doubt that you can also get appointed
to her if you apply in time."

I took his suggestion, wrote immediately to my father to beg that he
would make interest to have me appointed to the _Sappho_ frigate,
fitting at Portsmouth, and, though he was greatly surprised at my taste,
he did not refuse my request. After a short stay at home--sufficiently
long to recount my adventures in the Mediterranean, and to grow tired of
doing nothing--I joined my new ship at Spithead the day after she came
out of harbour. I found Pearson on board, but some of the officers had
not joined, nor had the ship her full complement of men.

Pearson liked the captain and officers he had seen, and expressed an
opinion that we should have a very pleasant voyage.

I anticipated great pleasure in visiting Peru and Mexico, and the
numerous strange islands in the Pacific of which I had read, and perhaps
Australia, and China, and Japan, and longed to be away. The evening
before the ship was to sail, Pearson came into the berth where I was
sitting alone, and said:

"I must prepare you for what is not likely to be pleasant. Owen has
joined; but follow my advice--receive him as an old shipmate, take no
notice of his former conduct, and treat him frankly, and you will
probably conquer his hostility. At all events, he knows by this time
that I will not allow him to play you the tricks he before did with
impunity."

On going on deck, I saw Owen talking to a group of mates and midshipmen.
He expressed no surprise at finding Pearson and me on board, and though
there was an unpleasant look in his eye, there was nothing to find faul