It was in London itself where I next set foot on land. Dirk marched me away to a riverside lodging where he seemed well known, and handing me some money gave me my freedom for the day, but told me to return without fail every evening at six, for he didn't know when he would need to be under way again. I promised faithfully not to fail him, and he merely gave my arm a little extra squeeze as he repeated his command, knowing quite well, I think, that I had learnt my lesson too thoroughly to put myself in fault any more. So I trotted away to find Worthing. But what with the wonder of the new sights, the strange confusion of the streets, the stupefying hubbub of the traffic and the crowds, it was a long time before I reached the city and hunted out the office of Worthing's uncle. And even then I was afraid to enter. Everything within looked so neat and orderly, though dismally dark and stuffy, that I became acutely conscious of my ungainly seafaring apparel, though I was no longer dressed in the jersey of the fisherman's boy. But about this time I began to be aware of my own appearance, and felt a confused shame if my clothes didn't sit well upon me. So I peeped within, and then looked down at myself, realizing how my wrists stuck out from the short sleeves of my jacket; and I was ashamed to enter. I slunk away, but presently coming across a clothier's, after long hesitation and much passing and repassing of the stall, I at length made the plunge and demanded a suit of shore-going apparel. That led to a visit to a barber's where reluctantly I sacrificed my incipient sailor pig-tail which I had begun to cultivate with romantic zest. However, all this is rather needless detail. I soon found myself trimmed up in a costume that satisfied my sense of the elegant and the decorous, and returning to the office didn't hesitate this time, but boldly marching in asked if I might see Worthing Bright. I was shown into a tiny inner room where I saw my friend perched up at a ridiculously high desk, a quill behind his ear, and busily scanning an imposing document. In the moment before he turned round I inhaled such a lungful of musty air smelling of dust and damp and old leather that I wondered how he could remain there more than five minutes without being sick. At the announcement of my name he pivoted round on his stool, and at the sight of me dropped the document to the desk, and jumped to the floor. In a trice we were shaking each other by the hand, beaming our joy at the reunion.