he quarter of the ship, bowed with respectful ease, and spoke with a
self-possession that not one of the old commanders of the fleet would
have dared to use. In general, this nobleman's intercourse with his
superiors in naval rank, betrayed the consciousness of his own
superiority in civil rank; but Sir Gervaise being of an old family, and
quite as rich as he was himself, the vice-admiral commanded more of his
homage than was customary. His ship was full of "nobs," as they term it
in the British navy, or the sons and relatives of nobles; and it was by
no means an uncommon thing for her messes to have their jokes at the
expense of even flag-officers, who were believed to be a little ignorant
of the peculiar sensibilities that are rightly enough imagined to
characterize social station.

"Good-morning, Sir Gervaise," called out this noble captain; "I'm glad
to see you looking so well, after our long cruise in the Bay; I intended
to have the honour to inquire after your health in person, this morning,
but they told me you slept out of your ship. We shall have to hold a
court on you, sir, if you fall much into that habit!"

All within hearing smiled, even to the rough old tars, who were
astraddle of the yards; and even Sir Gervaise's lip curled a little,
though he was not exactly in a joking humour.

"Come, come, Morganic, do you let my habits alone, and look out for your
own fore-top-mast. Why, in the name of seamanship, is that spar stayed
forward in such a fashion, looking like a xebec's foremast?"

"Do you dislike it, Sir Gervaise?--Now to our fancies aboard here, it
gives the Achilles a knowing look, and we hope to set a fashion. By
carrying the head-sails well forward, we help the ship round in a sea,
you know, sir."

"Indeed, I know no such thing, my lord. What you gain after being taken
aback, you lose in coming to the wind. If I had a pair of scales
suitable to such a purpose, I would have all that hamper you have stayed
away yonder over your bows, on the end of such a long lever, weighed, in
order that you might learn what a beautiful contrivance you've invented,
among you, to make a ship pitch in a head sea. Why, d----e, if I think
you'd lie-to, at all, with so much stuff aloft to knock you off to
leeward. Come up, every thing, forward; come up every thing, my lord,
and bring the mast as near perpendicular as possible. It's a hard
matter, I find, to make one of your new-fashioned captains keep things
in their