he
fancied a ten-fold reward. Mildred, in a burst of natural feeling,
without affectation or reserve, but yielding to her heart only, threw
her arms around his neck, murmured the word "thanks" several times, and
wept freely on his bosom. When Mrs. Dutton received the sobbing girl
from him, Wycherly kissed the mother's cheek, and he left the room.

Admiral Bluewater would not consent to seek his repose until he had a
private conference with his friend and Wycherly. The latter was
frankness and liberality itself, but the former would not wait for
settlements. These he trusted to the young man's honour. His own time
was short, and he should die perfectly happy could he leave his niece in
the care of one like our Virginian. He wished the marriage to take place
in his presence. On this, he even insisted, and, of course, Wycherly
make no objections, but went to state the case to Mrs. Dutton and
Mildred.

"It is singular, Dick," said Sir Gervaise, wiping his eyes, as he looked
from a window that commanded a view of the sea, "that I have left both
our flags flying in the Caesar! I declare, the oddness of the
circumstance never struck me till this minute."

"Let them float thus a little longer, Gervaise. They have faced many a
gale and many a battle together, and may endure each other's company a
few hours longer."

CHAPTER XXX.

"Compound or weakness and of strength,
Mighty, yet ignorant of thy power!
Loftier than earth, or air, or sea,
Yet meaner than the lowliest flower!

MARGARET DAVIDSON.

Not a syllable of explanation, reproach, or self-accusation had passed
between the commander-in-chief and the rear-admiral, since the latter
received his wound. Each party appeared to blot out the events of the
last few days, leaving the long vista of their past services and
friendship, undisfigured by a single unsightly or unpleasant object. Sir
Gervaise, while he retained an active superintendence of his fleet, and
issued the necessary orders right and left, hovered around the bed of
Bluewater with the assiduity and almost with the tenderness of a woman;
still not the slightest allusion was made to the recent battles, or to
any thing that had occurred in the short cruise. The speech recorded at
the close of the last chapter, was the first words he had uttered which
might, in any manner, carry the mind of either back to events that both
might wish forgotten. The rear-admiral felt this forbea