that your services as an instructor are
entirely satisfactory to me," added the principal, with a smile.

They were more satisfactory to him than they were to the students of the
Josephine.

"Then we seem to be in full accord with each other on these points,"
replied the professor, hopefully. "I trust some arrangement may be made
to reconcile the differences of opinion on the question of discipline.
You do not sustain me, Mr. Lowington."

"I cannot, sir. If I did, I should expect the Josephine to go to the
bottom with all on board, in the first gale of wind she encounters,
should Captain Kendall happen to be reciting his Greek at the time."

"I think I understand the matter better now, and in a similar emergency
I should permit him to leave the class."

"In matters of seamanship and navigation, I have more confidence in the
judgment of Captain Kendall than in yours. He must be absolute in his
position as captain of the vessel."

"Of course, sir; and in the composition of a soup doubtless you would
have more confidence in the judgment of your cook than in mine," added
the professor, cynically; for, intellectually, the cook and the captain
appeared to be on the same level to him; and as a professor of Greek, he
did not regard it as any more derogatory to his dignity not to know
anything of the principles of seamanship than to be ignorant of the art
of making a soup.

"The order which I have written, and which I shall transmit to Captain
Kendall as soon as the squadron comes to anchor, will set the matter
right," said Mr. Lowington.

"Do you insist on issuing that order?" asked Mr. Hamblin.

"I do."

"Let me say that Mr. Stoute did not indorse my course, and that in
future I will give Mr. Kendall permission to leave the class whenever he
desires to do so."

"That is very well, sir; but, under the circumstances, I cannot permit
the captain to be embarrassed even by the necessity of asking
permission. If, by any diffidence on his part, he should delay asking
leave to go on deck, serious mishaps might occur."

"Then I am to be subject to the will of that boy?" said the professor,
disgusted at the thought.

"Not unless you are connected with the sailing department of the vessel.
You are simply prevented from exercising your will over him, to the
detriment of his duties as a navigator."

"In this light the case looks different to me," added the professor, who
was laboring to recede from his position as gracef