wldero."

"A notable place, truly!--and with a housewife-look about it that must
certainly remind you of Mrs. Parker--unless, indeed, that picture at the
foot of your cot puts other notions into your head! What young hussy
have you got there, my old Eurydice?--Hey! Parker?"

"That is a picture of my faithful wife, Sir Gervaise; a proper
companion, I hope, of my cruise?"

"Hey! What, that young thing your wife, Parker! How the d--l came she to
have you?"

"Ah, Sir Gervaise, she is a young thing no longer, but is well turned
towards sixty. The picture was taken when she was a bride, and is all
the dearer to me, now that I know the original has shared my fortunes so
long. I never look at it, without remembering, with gratitude, how much
she thinks of me in our cruises, and how often she prays for our
success. _You_ are not forgotten, either, sir, in her prayers."

"I!" exclaimed the vice-admiral, quite touched at the earnest simplicity
of the other. "D'ye hear that, Greenly? I'll engage, now, this lady is a
good woman--a really excellent creature--just such another as my poor
sainted mother was, and a blessing to all around her! Give me your hand,
Parker; and when you write next to your wife, tell her from me, God
bless her; and say all you think a man ought to say on such an occasion.
And now to business. Let us seat ourselves in this snug domestic-looking
cabin of yours, and talk our matters over."

The two captains and Wycherly followed the vice-admiral into the
after-cabin, where the latter seated himself on a small sofa, while the
others took chairs, in respectful attitudes near him, no familiarity or
jocularity on the part of a naval superior ever lessening the distance
between him and those who _hold subordinate commissions_--a fact that
legislators would do well to remember, when graduating rank in a
service. As soon as all were placed, Sir Gervaise opened his mind.

"I have a delicate piece of duty, Captain Parker," he commenced, "which
I wish entrusted to yourself. You must know that we handled the ship
which escaped us this morning by running down into her own line, pretty
roughly, in every respect; besides cutting two of her masts out of her.
This ship, as you may have seen, has got up jury-masts, already; but
they are spars that can only be intended to carry her into port.
Monsieur de Vervillin is not the man I take him to be, if he intends to
leave the quarrel between us where it is. Still he cannot ke