“The last person as I ever expected to come across hereaway,” said Hairblower, his broad, honest face wrinkling with pleasure. “I little thought when I came cruising about this here place as I should fall in with friends at every corner; and pretty friends they’ve showed theirselves, some on ’em.” As the seaman spoke these last words in bitter and desponding tones, Frank remarked that he looked pale and haggard; and though his clear eye and good-humoured smile were the same as ever, he had lost the well-to-do air and jovial manner which used to distinguish him at St. Swithin’s. Frank asked if there was anything wrong: “You know I’m an old friend, Hairblower; I can see something has happened--can I assist you? At any rate, tell me what is the matter.” The tears stood in Hairblower’s eyes, and again he wrung Frank’s hand with a grasp like a vice, and his voice came hoarse and thick as he replied, “God bless you, Mr. Hardingstone, you’re a real gentleman, _you_ are, and though I’m a plain man and poor--_poor_, I haven’t five shillings left in the world--you think it no shame to be seen walking and talking with the likes of me in the broad daylight, and that’s what I call _manly_, sir: no more didn’t Master Charlie--poor lad! he’s far enough now; many’s the time he’s said to me, ‘Hairblower,’ says he--but that’s neither here nor there. Well, Mr. Hardingstone, things has gone cross with me now for a goodish bit: the fishin’ ’s not what it used to be, nor the place neither. Bless ye, I’ve seen the day when I could take and put my ten-pound note on the old table at home, ay, and another to the back of that! but times is altered now, betterer for some, worserer for others. I’ve had my share, mayhap, but I’ve been drifting to leeward a long while back, and I’ve had a deal of way to fetch up. Well, sir, I’m pretty stiff and strong yet, and the Lord’s above all, so I thought I might just get things together a bit, and streak up here to London town, and so look out for a berth in some of these here ships a-going foreign. I’ve neither chick nor child to care for me at home, and I reckoned as a voyage wouldn’t hurt me no worse now than five-and-twenty years ago. Well, sir, to make a long story short, I got a bit o’ money together, as much as would buy me an outfit and chest, and such like, for I meant to ship as second mate at the worst, and I always liked to be respectable; and when I’d got that I’d got _all_, but I didn’t owe no man a farthing, and so would be ready to clear out with a clean breast. Lord, sir, what a place this here town is for sights: go where I would there was something to be seen. To be sure I hadn’t many shillings to throw away, and I just looked straight afore me, and I never so much as winked at the mammon horse, nor the stuffed sea-serpent, nor the biggest man in Europe, nor the fattest woman, nor the world turned upside down, nor none on ’em, till I was brought up all standing by a board, where they offered to