"Have you been long in these lodgings?"
said Waits, gazing round the room.

"It really does seem a good thing for many
a man to do," said I. It was not worth while
replying about the lodgings. Presently I
threw down the nut-crackers—large plated
ones, that broke a piece out of a China
dish—" Isaac! " said I, "I've half a mind to
go. If things can be managed, I'm your man."

"If I'm not gone," said he.

"Gone!" said I.

''Yes," said he, "the ship I mean to sail in
will go the moment she's ready. The
Rodneyrig—thirteen hundred tons."

"But not in a week!" said I.

"Perhaps not," said he; "but it's as well
to be in time. I have taken my berth."

"Ah," said I, "why, you never told me
this before."

"Didn't see why I should," said he, "but
now that you are really beginning to think of
going, I wouldn't conceal anything from you.
Who do you think is going besides?"

"I have no idea," said I.

"Why, Arrowsmith!" said he; "don't
you remember Arrowsmith, who was at old
Tucker's Academy with us?"

"What! John Arrowsmith who fought
hulky Mercer?"

"Yes."

"And built the snow-house?"

"And swam across Bigley's Pond, after the
otter."

"And always used to be chosen captain of
the Banditti?"

"Yes; and took the lead in most things
out o' doors."

"Then," said I, "my mind's made up.
Isaac, old boy, I'll go with you and
Arrowsmith."

"Well! " said Isaac. "I hope there'll be
room for you."

"Room?" I exclaimed. "Why, you said
the ship held thirteen hundred tons! Think
what a stomach she must have!"

"True," said he, drily; "but thirteen
hundred tons is still a limited space; and if
she held thirty hundred tons, why thirty
hundred tons would fill her, and no time to
lose either, considering the numbers who are
now preparing to go to Australia. I wouldn't
swear there was room for a single passenger
more."

"Isaac," said I, laying my hand upon his
shoulder, "don't talk in this way. I can't
bear it. My feelings are not in a state to be
met with any problematical difficulties, now
that I have made up my mind. I'll call
and see Arrowsmith—I'll write him a note
to-night—what's his address? You'll tell
him, when you see him, that I'm coming.
He'll be sure to remember me, though we
haven't met since we were at old Tucker's.
We used to do 'Cordeery' together, don't
you recollect, and afterwards Sallust. What
a dab he was at hockey!"

Isaac nodded, and responded rather coolly,
as I fancied, to the numerous questions I now
put to him. He said, "Oh, you'll soon see."
We parted with an agreement to meet in a
few days to confer on the subject nearest our
hearts, and in the mean time I was to see
Arrowsmith, and ask his advice about the
passage and outfit.

May 18th.—Perceived, for the first time,
that it would be impossible for me to make
a real move without consulting my aunt—in
fact, without obtaining her consent, because
of the tin. I also had to get clear of the
remainder of my time with Mr. Buckles.
How I longed to be out of the sight of him,
and his glass cases.

Went to aunt in evening. Broke the matter
to her by degrees, like a death in the family.
She actually stopped me in the middle,
saying, she saw that I was thinking of going
to Australia! To my surprise and delight
she came into it at once, and even said the
same thing had crossed her own mind. What a
state the public feeling must be in about these
wonderful Diggings.

May 19th.—Aunt wrote to Mr. Buckles
concerning me. Old governor very good
about the matter, answering by return, almost,
and giving me up the rest of the time. All
in the best sort of way, and saying several
particularly handsome things about me; also
saying much the same to me personally in
the afternoon, and making me a present of
one of the large silver pencil-cases—not
valuable in itself, very much, but gratifying,
as coming from so respectable and
long-established an old screw. Called an hour
afterwards on Arrowsmith. Not at home.
In the evening also. Out of town. Left my
card each time.

Called on Isaac Waits. Rather late, and
he going to bed. Shown up to his bed-room.
He, sitting on the edge of his bed in a pair
of ugly short drawers, with brown and grey
stripes, and smoking a Dutch pipe, listened
to all I said—asking, doubting, conjecturing,
planning—without making any reply, except
now and then by a slight nod, or retaining
the smoke in his mouth till it forced its way
in two jets through his nostrils, and then
giving me a knowing wink with one eye. At
last, his stupid pipe being finished, he tapped
out the embers against his thumb-nail into
the washhand-basin, leaving them smoking
there, and then began to reply to one or two
of my questions. Told me that Arrowsmith
had gone abroad soon after he left old
Tucker's, into some foreign army—believed
he had been a lieutenant in the Columbian
service, and that he had also been in a
man-of-war some time, under Lord Cochrane,
and seen a variety of desperate service in
South America. Once had command of a
foraging party up a fresh-water river, running
far into the interior, and came back in a
man-of-war's launch laden with spoils. Believed
after this that Arrowsmith had been engaged
in other parts of South America, and that he