, sir?"

"Bell rings!" repeated the captain, abruptly. "For what, sir?"

"For service, sir."

"Service?" said Captain Farmer, in a questioning tone still. "I've
given no orders about any service to-day. There's no time for it now.
We're going to weigh anchor in another minute or two."

"Weigh the anchor, sir!" exclaimed Mr Smythe, in a voice of holy
indignation, losing all his hesitancy and awkwardness of speech. "Why,
it is Sunday!"

"The better the day, the better the deed," rejoined the captain, rather
sternly, I thought. "If you overhaul your Bible you'll find it was only
the Pharisees who objected to any necessary work being done on the
Sabbath, and I myself see nothing wrong in our sailing on this day if we
have a fair wind, Sunday though it be; besides which, I am obeying the
orders of my queen and country."

"But, sir," cried Mr Smythe, flushing up again, though now more from
the heat of argument than from the feeling of bashfulness which at first
oppressed him, "it is my duty to celebrate divine service, and my
bishop--"

"Mr Smythe, I'm bishop here; and, as commanding officer, my word is
law," interrupted Captain Farmer. "The next time you may desire to hold
service on board this ship, please be good enough to ask my permission
first; for, remember, my rule is paramount here over matters spiritual
as well as things temporal. No doubt you have erred through ignorance
in trying to set your authority against mine, and I'll not dwell further
on the matter. I am sorry there'll be no time to-day for you to hold
any regular service, for I am now going to inspect the men at divisions;
but, after that, you may have a short prayer, if you like, before we
make sail."

The Reverend Mr Smythe, I was glad to notice, took this rebuke in
dignified silence, standing aside on the quarter-deck while the captain
and commander descended the poop-ladder and went their rounds.

He waited until they had passed forwards before he went down the
after-hatchway to the main deck; where, on the completion of the
inspection, all hands were mustered and he read the form of prayer
enjoined by the rubric for those about to travel by sea, which was
listened to more attentively perhaps than it is in any church ashore.

Sailors, however, watch as well as pray; so, no sooner had the chaplain
finished than his congregation dispersed instantly to their stations,
the commander singing out from the poop, the moment he had reached t