I was happy, yet full of impatience, as I waited through the long
afternoon for the return of Stormy Jack.
There was pride and pleasure in the anticipation of his approval of my
exertions, when I should show him the money I had made. It was the
first money I had ever earned--my only transactions with the circulating
medium before that time, having been to spend it, as fast as it could be
obtained from a fond father.
I entered into an elaborate calculation by an arithmetical rule I had
learned under the name of "reduction," and found that I had made in one
day, by my own exertions, over two shillings of English money.
I had pride--pride in my ability to make money at all, and pride in my
scholastic acquirements, which enabled one so young to tell how much had
been gained, for I was not able to comprehend fully the amount, until I
had brought it into shillings and pence.
With burning impatience I waited for the return of Stormy. Being
fatigued, however, I fell asleep, and dreamt of having made a fortune,
and of having had a fight with Mr Leary, in which that gentleman--to
make use of Stormy's favourite expression--had been "taught some
manners."
When I awoke, I looked eagerly at a clock. It was past seven in the
evening, and Stormy Jack had not returned!
He had been due more than an hour. The happiness I had been all day
indulging in, suddenly forsook me; and a sickening sensation of
loneliness came over my soul.
I sat up waiting and watching for him until a very late hour--in fact
until I was driven to bed by the landlady; but Stormy did not return.
Volume One, Chapter V.