He was not there. The street was almost deserted--dusk was gathering in, and I could not see him anywhere. Perhaps he had gone in. I laid the cake down, stood it upright against the door, knocked hard, and hurried away directly. He is sure to find it, I said to myself; the first thing he will do when he comes out will be to find it. And my eyes grew moist with pleasure at the thought of the little chap finding the cake. I reached the terminus again. Now I no longer felt hungry, only the sweet stuff I had eaten began to cause me discomfort. The wildest thoughts, too, surged up anew in my head. Supposing I were in all secretness to cut the hawser mooring one of those ships? Supposing I were to suddenly yell out “Fire”? I walk farther down the wharf, find a packing-case and sit upon it, fold my hands, and am conscious that my head is growing more and more confused. I do not stir; I simply make no effort whatever to keep up any longer. I just sit there and stare at the _Copégoro_, the barque flying the Russian flag. I catch a glimpse of a man at the rail; the red lantern slung at the port shines down upon his head, and I get up and talk over to him. I had no object in talking, as I did not expect to get a reply, either. I said: “Do you sail tonight, Captain?” “Yes; in a short time,” answered the man. He spoke Swedish. “Hem, I suppose you wouldn’t happen to need a man?” I was at this instant utterly indifferent as to whether I was met by a refusal or not; it was all the same to me what reply the man gave me, so I stood and waited for it. “Well, no,” he replied; “unless it chanced to be a young fellow.” “A young fellow!” I pulled myself together, took off my glasses furtively and thrust them into my pocket, stepped up the gangway, and strode on deck. “I have no experience,” said I; “but I can do anything I am put to. Where are you bound for?” “We are in ballast for Leith, to fetch coal for Cadiz.” “All right,” said I, forcing myself upon the man; “it’s all the same to me where I go; I am prepared to do my work.” “Have you never sailed before?” he asked. “No; but as I tell you, put me to a task, and I’ll do it. I am used to a little of all sorts.” He bethought himself again. I had already taken keenly into my head that I was to sail this voyage, and I began to dread being hounded on shore again. “What do you think about it, Captain?” I asked at last. “I can really do anything that turns up. What am I saying? I would be a poor sort of chap if I couldn’t do a little more than just what I was put to. I can take two watches at a stretch, if it comes to that. It would only do me good, and I could hold out all the same.” “All right, have a try at it. If it doesn’t work, well, we can part in England.” “Of course,” I reply in my delight, and I repeated over again that we could part in England if it didn’t work. And he set me to work....