"That he has got already," said the admiral, presenting me with a paper, which I found was my commission as lieutenant, and that I was appointed to the Porcupine sloop-of-war of fourteen guns, commanded by Captain John Packenham. I could not find words to express my thanks to the admiral, but he said, "Pooh, pooh; we want active, intelligent, gallant young men not afraid of a gale of wind, or of an enemy ashore or afloat," he answered. "You have fairly won your promotion, and I congratulate you on obtaining it." With these kind words I parted from the admiral, and took my seat in my new friend's carriage. "We have time to see old Stukely this evening, and ascertain the amount you have got to your credit. It won't make you sleep the worse," said he, as we drove along. "Forty or fifty pounds, probably," I remarked. "It would make me feel as rich as a king." "We will see, we will see," he replied. To the agent's we went. He was a friend of Mr Martin's, so without more ado he turned to his books. "Hurry? Hurry of the Bristol?" he muttered. "A trifle, I know." I bethought me, "It won't be ten pounds after all, perhaps." "Oh, yes, here I have it. Three hundred pounds, Mr Hurry! You can draw it whenever you like: our friend here will assure me of your identity." I couldn't help throwing up my cap for joy. "Well, I am rich," I exclaimed; "like that old fellow Croesus I once read of at school. Thank you, sir--thank you. Hurrah, hurrah!" I burst out into a loud fit of laughter. At first Mr Martin smiled at my joy, but he soon began to look grave, as did the agent, for they perceived that I was over-excited--that, in truth, the admiral's good wine and my unexpected good fortune, acting on a frame shattered by sickness, had upset me, and they seemed to think that there was every probability of a return of my fever. "I am very glad to hear that you have got this little sum. It will help to supply you with an outfit," observed Mr Martin, wishing to calm me down a little. "Enough for an outfit!--enough to fit out a prince or found a kingdom," I exclaimed vehemently. "Ha, ha, ha!" "Well, never mind that just now," said my kind friend; "just get into my barouche, and come along to my house in the meantime. To-morrow we will talk about these matters." I made no resistance, and, getting into his carriage, we soon reached his cool and comfortable mansion in the neighbourhood of Kingston. I was immediately put to bed, and off I went into a sleep so sound that an earthquake or an hurricane would scarcely have awoke me.