due modesty, and he seemed
well pleased at hearing about my family. His lordship happened to look
at Dicky Larcom, who, supposing that he had to give an account of
himself, said--

"I haven't done anything yet, Lord Robert, because I have only been two
days in the navy; but I intend to do as much as Admiral Benbow, Lord
Rodney, or Sir Samuel Hood, if I have the chance."

"No doubt about it, youngster," said his lordship, laughing. "While I
think of it, I wish two of you young gentlemen to breakfast with me
every morning. I wish you all to learn manners, in which I find
occasionally a great deficiency among the junior officers of the
service. I'll say nothing about their seniors. You'll let it be known
in the berth, Finnahan. You can all come in rotation."

"Thank you, my lord," I answered, for I found that he always liked to be
thus addressed.

The announcement did not afford as much pleasure as I had expected. The
oldsters voted it a great bore, though Dicky Larcom and the other
youngsters looked upon the invitation as an especial honour, and
anticipated the good breakfasts they were to enjoy several times a week.

Where we were to be sent to was now the question, for as yet that
important information had not transpired. The bumboat-woman, the great
authority as far as midshipmen were concerned, could not enlighten us,
though some of the more knowing expressed an opinion that we should be
attached to the Channel squadron, which, in other words, meant that Lord
Robert intended to remain in harbour as much as possible, to save
himself from the perils and discomforts he might be exposed to at sea.

We waited day after day, while the captain, it was understood, was
transacting important business on shore, though it was shrewdly
suspected that he was amusing himself as he thought fit. At length he
received a peremptory order to proceed to sea. When he came on board,
he complained to old Rough-and-Ready of the hardships to which he was
subjected.

"Don't you think, Mr Saunders, that it's a shame that men of rank like
myself should be at the beck and call of such old fogies as my Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty?" he exclaimed. "I have had positively
to give up Lady Seacombe's ball on the 15th. Putting my own feelings
aside, there will be several sweet girls who will be bitterly
disappointed."

"I don't know anything about balls, except round shot and musket-balls,"
answered the first lieutenant. "F