ing is ready, and Nell and I
are only waiting for you loiterers to begin."

"Loiterers, indeed!" retorted the Captain good-humouredly, as he hobbled
along with some difficulty by the aid of his stick down the uneven path,
"you would loiter too if you had my poor legs to walk with! Never mind,
though, here we are at last; and, I tell you what, ma'am, that table-
cloth there and the good things you've got on it is the prettiest sight
I've seen to-day."

"What!" exclaimed Mrs Gilmour. "Prettier than the Roman villa?"

"Hang the Roman villa! I beg your pardon, ma'am, but the word slipped
out unawares."

After this apology for his somewhat strong expression, the old sailor
was proceeding to give the reason for his condemnation of the
archaeological remains he and the boys had been to see, when he noticed
Hellyer standing by in an attitude of attention.

"Why, man," he cried, "what brings you here?"

"I've got a letter for you, sir," replied Hellyer, handing an envelope
over to him, and saluting him in the same way as he had done Mrs
Gilmour just before. "Here it is, sir!"

"Humph!" ejaculated Captain. Dresser, opening the missive and running
his eyes over the contents. "Here's some good news for you, Master
Bob."

"Oh?" said the latter expectantly. "Good news, Captain?"

"Yes," went on the old sailor, "my friend, Commander Sponson, of the
Coastguard, writes to me to say that one of the new ironclads is going
out of harbour next week on her trial trip; and, if you like, you shall
have a chance of seeing what sort of vessel a modern ship of war is."

"Oh thank you, Captain Dresser, that will be jolly!" said Bob, his face
colouring up with pleasure. "But, will she fire her guns and all?"

"Certainly," answered the other, "big guns, little guns, torpedo-tubes,
and the whole of her armoury! Besides, my boy, you'll be able to see
her machinery at work, as she will try her speed on the measured mile;
and then you can ask one of the engineers all those puzzling questions
you bothered my old brains with when we were on board the steamer this
morning."

"That will be jolly," repeated Bob; "and--"

"There, there," cried the Captain, interrupting him, "I won't say
another word now, I'm much too famished to talk. Mrs Gilmour, what
have you got for a poor hungry creature to eat, eh, ma'am?"

"Anything you like," she responded with a smile. "Pray sit down and
begin."

"I will," said he, seating himself with al