To this very sensible and polite address, I made a suitable reply.  He then stated that he expected to sail in a few days; that the officer whom I was to supersede had not exactly suited his ideas, although he believed him to be a very worthy young man; and that, in consequence, he had applied and succeeded in obtaining for him another appointment; that it was necessary he should join his ship immediately; but, of course, he must first be superseded by me.  “Therefore,” said he, “you had better meet me on board the brig to-morrow morning at nine o’clock, when your commission shall be read; and after that I beg you will consider yourself your own master for a few days, as I presume you have some little arrangements to prepare for your cruise.  I am aware,” pursued he, smiling most benignantly, “that there are many little comforts which officers wish to attend to; such as fitting their cabins and looking to their mess, and a thousand other nameless things, which tend to pass the time and break up the monotony of a sea-life.  Forty years have I trod the king’s planks, man and boy, and not with any great success, as you may perceive, by the rank I now hold, and the life I am leading; for here I sit over a glass of humble grog, instead of joining my brother captains in their claret at the Crown; but I have two sisters to support, and I feel more satisfaction in doing my duty as a brother, than indulging my appetite; although I own I have no dislike to a glass of claret, when it does not come before me in a questionable shape:  I mean when I have not got to pay for it, which I cannot afford.  Now do not let me take up any more of your time.  You have plenty of acquaintances that you wish to see, I have no doubt; and as for my yarns, they will do to pass away a watch, when we have nothing more attractive to divert us.”  So saying, he held out his hand, and shook mine most cordially.  “To-morrow, at nine o’clock,” he repeated; and I left him, much pleased with my interview.

I went back to my inn, thinking what a very fortunate fellow I was to have such an honest, straight-forward, bold, British hero of a captain, on my first appointment.  I ordered my dinner at the George, and then strolled out to make my purchases, and give my orders for a few articles for sea service.  I fell in with several old messmates; they congratulated me on my promotion, and declared I should give them a dinner to wet my commission, to which I readily consented.  The day was named, and Mr Billett was ordered to provide accordingly.

Having dined solus, I amused myself in writing a long letter to my dear Emily; and with the assistance of a bottle of wine, succeeded in composing a tolerably warm and rapturous sort of a document, which I sealed, kissed, and sent to the post-office; after which, I built castles till bed time; but not one castle did I build, in which Emily was not the sole mistress.  I went to bed, and slept soundly; and the next morning, by seven o’clock, I was arrayed in a spick-span new uniform, with an immensely large epaulette stuck on my right shoulder.  Having breakfasted, I sallied out, and, in my own conceit, was as handsome a chap as ever buckled a sword belt.  I skimmed with a light and vigorous foot down High-street.