, cursory though it was, what he saw
appeared to satisfy him, for he was good enough to express his approval
as he closed the books and pushed them across the table to me.

"Very good, very good indeed," he remarked; "far more creditable than
mine were when I was your age, I am afraid. I consider you a most
promising young officer, and am going to take you under my wing, because
I believe you will do me credit. Nay, boy, I want no thanks,"--as I
broke in somewhat incoherently in an attempt to express my
gratitude--"at least, not in the form of words," he continued; "words
are often spoken under the influence of a strong momentary impulse, and
forgotten almost immediately afterward. But if you should desire to
show that you are grateful to me for what I intend to do for you, you
cannot exhibit it more acceptably than by justifying the very great
trust that I am about to repose in you. And I believe you will, for,
young as you are, you have proved yourself to be made of the right
stuff; you have made good use of your time, and have as much knowledge
in that curly pate of yours as many officers of twice your length of
service possess. Now, I am not telling you this because I want to make
you conceited--far from it; it is simply because I want you to
understand that I have formed a very high opinion of you, and that I
expect you to live up to it. D'ye understand that, youngster?"

"Quite clearly, Sir Peter," I answered. "It is exceedingly kind, and
most encouraging on your part that you have spoken so frankly as you
have, and I can assure you that I am not in the least likely to
entertain an unduly high opinion of myself in consequence of it. On the
contrary, I am afraid that you have formed altogether too favourable an
opinion of me and my qualities; but I shall remember that opinion, and
will do my utmost to justify it."

"Very well," he answered; "no man can say more than that, and if you
fulfil your promise I shall be perfectly satisfied. And now, as to the
work upon which I propose to employ you. You must know that there is
more work--a good deal more work--to be done on this station than there
are ships to do it; consequently, although every ship at my disposal is
now at sea, I am continually receiving complaints that the commerce in
West Indian waters is inadequately protected. I have applied for
additional ships, but have been told that there are none to spare, and
that I must do the best I can with wha