All at sea he crossed the Square and entered Pall Mall. In the process of time he came to the home of Brown's Magazine. Edward Ambrose gave him a welcome that nearly brought tears to his eyes.
"My dear boy!" he said. "Not one word in all these months! Anyhow you have come back to us."
It was impossible to doubt the friendship and the affection of this greeting. The Sailor felt a pang of shame. As a fact, he had been too modest to expect such loyalty.
"I'm ... I'm sorry."
"You had no right to forget your friends," said Edward Ambrose, a little resentfully. He knew the workings of this childishly open mind, and it hurt him that a sincere emotion should have been underrated.
"Yes," said the Sailor queerly. "It was rotten."
"You are looking splendidly brown and well," said Edward Ambrose as soon as it seemed the part of wisdom to speak. "You don't mean to say that Dick Smith has been sailing the high seas all these long months?"
"Not Dick Smith. Ulysses."
Ambrose gave a little start of pure pleasure.
"Then," he said, "a master mariner has really come into port?"