g as the requisite
signals were made, while both frigates were continually firing their
guns to hasten on the laggards, or to make the faster sailing ships
shorten sail.

Rapid voyages were not expected to be made in those days, for the more
nimble-heeled had to wait for the slower-sailing craft, while the
men-of-war had to keep the whole of the vessels under their charge in
sight, and as close together as circumstances would allow.

The midshipmen had assembled for dinner in their berth on the day the
fleet sailed, with the exception of those on duty.

"Faith, Ludlam! I thought you'd have been our new third, rather than
Oswald, who hasn't been in the service half as long as you have, and
isn't as good a seaman by a long score," said Paddy Logan.

"It's my ill luck; I've not got a marquis for a father, and must
submit," answered Ludlam, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's a crying shame, I say. Oh! you should have seen him come on board
last night, with his new-fledged honours thick upon him, in the shape of
an epaulet on his left shoulder. How he strutted about the deck, with a
shaggy Newfoundland pup running after him! and how he shook hands with
Curling and Jager, giving a nod to the master and old `cheese-parings,'
as if he considered them scarcely worth his notice, though he did
condescend to offer the tips of his fingers to Renton, our new
lieutenant of marines, and to Dr O'Brien! I say, old Voules, I thought
he was going to cut you altogether; but perhaps he'll honour you by
giving that yelping pup of his into your charge to dry nurse. You'll
not have many opportunities of paying court to him if he treats you in
the fashion he does others."

"I pay court to Lord Reginald Oswald! never did such a thing in my
life," answered Voules, blushing to the forehead. "But you are
mistaken, Paddy, as to the way he treated me. If you had seen him
afterwards, you would have said that he was as friendly as ever, only
now, as he has become a gun-room officer, he is of course obliged to
keep up a certain amount of reserve."

"Reserve! do you call it?" cried Tommy Shackel. "He glanced at me as if
he had never seen me before, and when I went up to him, and put out my
hand, he drew back with a look of astonishment at my audaciousness, I
suppose, as he thought it."

"You fellows shouldn't speak of Lord Reginald in the way you are doing,"
exclaimed Voules. "I consider he was an ornament to our mess while he
remained in