Alister began to cheer up, and Dennis to sober down.

We wrote home, and posted our letters, after which we secured a decent sleeping-room and a good meal of broiled salmon, saffron-coloured cakes, and hot coffee, for a very reasonable sum; but, moderate as it was, it confirmed us in the conviction that we could not afford to eat the bread of idleness.
Next day we were early at the wharf.

The _Water-Lily_ was by no means so white as she was named, and the smell of the salt fish was abominable.
But we knew we could not pick and choose when we wanted employment, and wanted to be together; and to this latter point we had nailed our colours.

With Alister and me the mate came to terms at once, but for a time he made difficulties about Dennis.

We "stowaways" had had so much dirty work to do in all weathers for the past fortnight, that we looked sailor-like enough, I dare say; and as it had honestly been our endeavour to learn all we could, and shirk nothing, and as the captain's paper spoke well of us, I think the mate got a very good bargain--for we were green enough to take lower wages than the customary rate on the strength of a long string of special reasons which he made us swallow.
This probably helped towards his giving in about Dennis.