“I han’t forgot it, sir,” says I, “and until to-day ’twas my design to accept on’t, but (though I am almost ashamed to tell it you) I have this evening been led altogether to change my mind.” “Come!” says he, “sure this is a sudden determination, lad. What hath led you to’t? and what do you purpose to do if you don’t accept of the agency? It an’t every day that such places go a-begging.” “Well, sir,” says I, “I don’t doubt but you will be prodigious astonished to hear that I feel myself very strongly drawn towards home.” “Home? England?” saith he. “Why now, Ned, you do indeed astonish me. I can’t blame you, and yet it seems strange you should desire to leave the service so young.” “Not so monstrous young, sir,” quoth I. “I am thirty-eight years old, under your favour.” “So you are,” says he. “’Tis twenty years and more since the day I met you upon the landing-place at Swally. But prythee, Ned, tell me, whence come this new plan?” “Why, sir,” says I, “I am almost ashamed to tell you, as I said. But indeed I was visiting upon our friend Mr Stokes but now, and entered his house suddenly, sending no word of my approach. Coming then into the inner court, I found him at supper with his wife and children (for, as you know, he is married to a country-born woman, half Portugal and half Gentue, and hath several children by her), and they had no time, by reason of my hasty entrance, to retire, as is their custom when his friends appear. And--(but this, sir, must appear to you so strange and foolish that I ask your pardon for’t beforehand) the sight seemed to breed in me a certain longing and desire for such a home of my own, and recalled to me that I might have had such an one now had I wished it, and in fine, it did awake in me a vehement design of returning at once to England and espousing my cousin.” “So, so!” says Mr Martin, looking upon me jestingly, “is this your mind, lad? Well, _Every man knowes where his shooe wrings him_, but I’ll own I han’t looked that yours should wring you here. You will wait, I presume, for the Boscobel, that is expected every day at Swally on her homeward voyage, or are your occasions so urgent that you must needs charter a country junk, and perform your journey in her?”