mmissioners of the Admiralty, appointing Commander
Headland to the _Thisbe_ sloop-of-war, and Lieutenant Castleton to the
_Aurora_ frigate, with orders to join their respective ships at once.
It was the first day Harry had come down.

"I congratulate you, gentlemen," said Sir Ralph in a tone Harry did not
like. "You will both soon see active service, for, depend upon it,
Napoleon will not let us remain long at peace."

Poor Julia, turning pale, nearly betrayed herself.

"I am obliged to their lordships; I scarcely expected to get a ship so
soon," replied Headland, who did not exhibit that enthusiastic pleasure
which might have been expected on being appointed to his first command.

"I should have been more obliged to them if they had appointed me to the
same ship," said Harry. "You, I daresay, can manage to do it," he
added, turning to his father. "Possibly the lieutenants may not as yet
have been selected."

"I have not much interest at the Admiralty, and what I have I must keep
for your promotion," said Sir Ralph. "We shall lose you, Captain
Headland, sooner than was expected, for I presume that you will have to
start to-morrow at latest."

Headland could not help feeling that this was a strong hint to him to
hasten his departure.

"I will lose no time, Sir Ralph, in joining my ship, though I shall
leave Texford with regret."

He glanced for a moment on Julia, but for her sake directly withdrew his
eyes, judging truly from his own feelings what hers were.

"I am glad to see that both ships are fitting at Portsmouth," observed
Harry, "and if we cannot travel together, and I suppose the doctor won't
let me go for a few days, I will join you there."

Harry talked away, trying to keep up his own spirits as well as those of
his friend. He felt that a crisis was at hand, and that Headland must
openly declare his love for Julia, whether or not Sir Ralph was likely
to give his sanction to their engagement.

Headland saw matters in the same light. He wished, however, first to
consult Julia as to whether he should tell her father of their
engagement, or leave her to do so.

Fortunately, Sir Ralph was engaged in writing letters and other business
for some time after breakfast, and Headland, finding Julia alone,
invited her to go into the grounds where they could talk without fear of
interruption.

"Your going seems so sudden that I can scarcely realise it," she
exclaimed. "I fancied that weeks and months w