lected all his frigates and corvettes on his starboard hand,
leaving a clear approach to Sir Gervaise on his larboard beam. This hint
was understood, too, and the Plantagenet steered a course that would
bring her up on that side of le Foudroyant, and at the distance of about
one hundred yards from the muzzles of her guns. This threatened to be
close work, and unusual work in fleets, at that day; but it was the game
our commander-in-chief was fond of playing, and it was one, also, that
promised soonest to bring matters to a result.

These preliminaries arranged, there was yet leisure for the respective
commanders to look about them. The French were still fully a mile ahead
of their enemies, and as both fleets were going in the same direction,
the approach of the English was so slow as to leave some twenty minutes
of that solemn breathing time, which reigns in a disciplined ship,
previous to the commencement of the combat. The feelings of the two
commanders-in-chief, at this pregnant instant, were singularly in
contradiction to each other. The Comte de Vervillin saw that the rear
division of his force, under the Comte-Amiral le Vicomte des Prez, was
in the very position he desired it to be, having obtained the advantage
of the wind by the English division's coming down, and by keeping its
own luff. Between the two French officers there was a perfect
understanding as to the course each was to take, and both now felt
sanguine hopes of being able to obliterate the disgrace of the previous
day, and that, too, by means very similar to those by which it had been
incurred. On the other hand, Sir Gervaise was beset with doubts as to
the course Bluewater might pursue. He could not, however, come to the
conclusion that he would abandon him to the joint efforts of the two
hostile divisions; and so long as the French rear-admiral was occupied
by the English force to windward, it left to himself a clear field and
no favour in the action with Monsieur de Vervillin. He knew Bluewater's
generous nature too well not to feel certain his own compliance with the
request not to signal his inferior would touch his heart, and give him a
double chance with all his better feelings. Nevertheless, Sir Gervaise
Oakes did not lead into this action without many and painful misgivings.
He had lived too long in the world not to know that political prejudice
was the most demoralising of all our weaknesses, veiling our private
vices under the plausible con