And that night, as it happened, Jem and I sat up late, and had a long and loving chat.

He abused the office to my heart's content, and was very sympathetic when I told him that I had wished to go to sea, and how my father had refused to allow me.
"I think he made a great mistake," said Jem; and he told me of "a fellow's brother" that he knew about, who was in the Merchant Service, and how well he was doing.

"It's not even as if Uncle Henry were coming out generously," he added.
Dear, dear! How pleasant it was to hear somebody else talk on my side of the question.

And who was I that I should rebuke Jem for calling our worthy uncle a curmudgeon, and stigmatising the Jew-clerk as a dirty beast?
I really dared not tell him that Moses grew more familiar as my time to be articled drew near; that he called me Jack Sprat, and his dearest friend, and offered to procure me the "silver-top" (or champagne)--which he said I must "stand" on the day I took my place at the fellow desk to his--of the first quality and at less than cost price; and that he had provided me gratis with a choice of "excuses" (they were unblushing lies) to give to our good mother for spending that evening in town, and "having a spree." From my affairs we came to talk of Jem's, and I found that even he, poor chap! was not without his troubles.

He confided to me, with many expressions of shame and vexation, that he had got into debt, but having brought home good reports and even a prize on this occasion, he hoped to persuade my father to pay what he owed.
"You see, Jack, he's awfully good to me, but he will do things his own way, and what's worse, the way they were done in his young days.