the surgeon, the purser, one of the mates, one of the
marine officers, and the fourth lieutenant, to keep me company, Sir
Gervaise," answered the secretary, smiling like one accustomed to his
superior's jokes, and who cared very little about them. "When you send
us all back to Scotland, I'm thinking there will be many a good vacancy
to fill."

"The Scotch make themselves very useful, Sir Gervaise," put in Sir
Wycherly, by way of smoothing the matter over; "and now we have a
Brunswick prince on the throne, we Englishmen have less jealousy of them
than formerly. I am sure I should be happy to see all the gentlemen
mentioned by Mr. Atwood, at Wychecombe Hall."

"There, you're all well berthed while the fleet lies in these roads. Sir
Wycherly, in the name of Scotland, I thank you. But what an extr'ornary
(for so admirals pronounced the word a hundred years ago) scene this is,
hey! Atwood? Many a time have I seen the hulls of ships when their spars
were hid in the fog; but I do not remember ever to have seen before,
sixteen sets of masts and sails moving about on vapour, without a single
hull to uphold them. The tops of all the two-decked ships are as plainly
to be seen, as if the air were without a particle of vapour, while all
below the cat-harpings is hid in a cloud as thick as the smoke of
battle. I do not half like Bluewater's standing in so far; perhaps, Mr.
Dutton, they cannot see the cliffs, for I assure you we did not, until
quite close under them. We went altogether by the lead, the masters
feeling their way like so many blind beggars!"

"We always keep that nine-pounder loaded, Sir Gervaise," returned the
master, "in order to warn vessels when they are getting near enough in;
and if Mr. Wychecombe, who is younger than I, will run to the house and
light this match, I will prime, and we may give 'em warning where they
are, in less than a minute."

The admiral gave a ready assent to this proposition, and the respective
parties immediately set about putting it in execution. Wychecombe
hastened to the house to light the match, glad of an opportunity to
inquire after Mildred; while Dutton produced a priming-horn from a sort
of arm-chest that stood near the gun, and put the latter in a condition
to be discharged. The young man was absent but a minute, and when all
was ready, he turned towards the admiral, in order to get the signal to
proceed.

"Let 'em have it, Mr. Wychecombe," cried Sir Gervaise, smiling; "it will