ly in all that
related to names; and I'll engage, if he were living at this moment, he
would tell you the legal appellation of a changeling ought to be _filius
nullius_."

In spite of his native impudence, and an innate determination to make
his way in the world, without much regard to truth, Tom Wychecombe felt
his cheek burn so much, at this innocent allusion of his reputed uncle,
that he was actually obliged to turn away his face, in order to conceal
his confusion. Had any moral delinquency of his own been implicated in
the remark, he might have found means to steel himself against its
consequences; but, as is only too often the case, he was far more
ashamed of a misfortune over which he had no possible control, than he
would have been of a crime for which he was strictly responsible in
morals. Sir Gervaise smiled at Sir Wycherly's knowledge of law terms,
not to say of Latin; and turning good-humouredly to his friend the
rear-admiral, anxious to re-establish friendly relations with him, he
said with well-concealed irony--

"Sir Wycherly must be right, Bluewater. A changeling is _nobody_--that
is to say, he is not the _body_ he pretends to be, which is
substantially being nobody--and the son of nobody, is clearly a _filius
nullius_. And now having settled what may be called the law of the case,
I demand a truce, until we get our nuts--for as to Mr. Thomas
Wychecombe's having _his_ nut to crack, at least to-day, I take it there
are too many loyal subjects in the north."

When men know each other as well as was the case with our two admirals,
there are a thousand secret means of annoyance, as well as of
establishing amity. Admiral Bluewater was well aware that Sir Gervaise
was greatly superior to the vulgar whig notion of the day, which
believed in the fabricated tale of the Pretender's spurious birth; and
the secret and ironical allusion he had made to his impression on that
subject, acted as oil to his own chafed spirit, disposing him to
moderation. This had been the intention of the other; and the smiles
they exchanged, sufficiently proved that their usual mental intercourse
was temporarily restored at least.

Deference to his guests made Sir Wycherly consent to change the subject,
though he was a little mystified with the obvious reluctance of the two
admirals to speak of an enterprise that ought to be uppermost, according
to his notion of the matter, in every Englishman's mind. Tom had
received a rebuke that k