Yorkshireman’s astonished vision!—­Mr. Jorrocks, with his coat off, and a fine green velvet cap or turban, with a broad gold band and tassel, on his head, hoisting a great hamper out of the wherry, rejecting all offers of assistance, and treating the laughter and jeers of the porters and bystanders with ineffable contempt.  At length he placed the load to his liking, and putting on his coat, adjusted his hunting telescope, and advanced to the side, as the Yorkshireman mounted the step-ladder and came upon deck.  “Werry near being over late,” said he, pulling out his watch, just at which moment the last bell rang, and a few strokes of the paddles sent the vessel away from the quay.  “A miss is as good as a mile,” replied the Yorkshireman; “but pray what have you got in the hamper?”

“In the ’amper!  Why, wittles to be sure.  You seem to forget we are going a woyage, and ’ow keen the sea hair is.  I’ve brought a knuckle of weal, half a ham, beef, sarsingers, chickens, sherry white, and all that sort of thing, and werry acceptable they’ll be by the time we get to the Nore, or may be before.”

“Ease her!  Stop her!” cried the captain through his trumpet, just as the vessel was getting into her stride in mid-stream, and, with true curiosity, the passengers flocked to the side, to see who was coming, though they could not possibly have examined half they had on board.  Mr. Jorrocks, of course, was not behindhand in inquisitiveness, and proceeded to adjust his telescope.  A wherry was seen rowing among the craft, containing the boatman, and a gentleman in a woolly white hat, with a bright pea-green coat, and a basket on his knee.  “By jingo, here’s Jemmy Green!” exclaimed Mr. Jorrocks, taking his telescope from his eye, and giving his thigh a hearty slap.  “How unkimmon lucky!  The werry man of all others I should most like to see.  You know James Green, don’t you?” addressing the Yorkshireman—­“young James Green, junior, of Tooley Street—­everybody knows him—­most agreeable young man in Christendom—­fine warbler—­beautiful dancer—­everything that a young man should be.”

“How are you James?” cried Jorrocks, seizing him by the hand as his friend stepped upon deck; but whether it was the nervousness occasioned by the rocking of the wherry, or the shaking of the step-ladder up the side of the steamer, or Mr. Jorrocks’s new turban cap, but Mr. Green, with an old-maidish reserve, drew back from the proffered embrace of his friend.  “You have the adwantage of me, sir,” said he, fidgeting back as he spoke, and eyeing Mr. Jorrocks with unmeasured surprise—­“Yet stay—­if I’m not deceived it’s Mr. Jorrocks—­so it is!” and thereupon they joined hands most cordially, amid exclamations of, “’Ow are you, J——?” ’"Ow are you, G——?” “’Ow are you, J——?” “So glad to see you, J——­” “So glad to see you, G——­” “So glad to see you, J——­” “And pray what may you have in your basket?” inquired Mr. Jorrocks, putting his hand to the bottom of a neat