f
the English. Nevertheless, the stragglers in the rear of the French
continued to hug the wind, with a pertinacity that denoted a resolution
to have a brush with their enemies in passing. The vessels were le
Scipion and la Victoire, each of seventy-four guns. The first of these
ships was commanded by a young man of very little professional
experience, but of high court influence; while the second had a captain
who, like old Parker, had worked his way up to his present station,
through great difficulties, and by dint of hard knocks, and harder work.
Unfortunately the first ranked, and the humble _capitaine de fregate_,
placed by accident in command of a ship of the line, did not dare to
desert a _capitaine de vaisseau_, who had a _duc_ for an elder brother,
and called himself _comte_. There was perhaps a redeeming gallantry in
the spirit which determined the Comte de Chelincourt to incur the risk
of passing so near six vessels with only two, that might throw a veil
over the indiscretion; more especially as his own fleet was near enough
to support him in the event of any disaster, and it was certainly
possible that the loss of a material spar on board either of his foes,
might induce the capture of the vessel. At all events, thus reasoned M.
de Chelincourt; who continued boldly on, with his larboard tacks aboard,
always hugging the wind, even after the Temeraire was round; and M.
Comptant chose to follow him in la Victoire. The Plantagenet, by this
time, being not a mile distant from the Scipio, coming on with steady
velocity, these intentions and circumstances created every human
probability that she would soon be passing her weather beam, within a
quarter of a mile, and, consequently, that a cannonade, far more serious
than what had yet occurred, must follow. The few intervening minutes
gave Sir Gervaise time to throw a glance around him, and to come to his
final decision.

The English fleet was never in better line than at that precise moment.
The ships were as close to each other as comported with safety, and
every thing stood and drew as in the trade winds. The leading French
vessels were waring and increasing their distance to leeward, and it
would require an hour for them to get up near enough to be at all
dangerous in such weather, while all the rest were following, regardless
of the two that continued their luff. The Chloe had already got round,
and, hugging the wind, was actually coming up to windward of her ow