wkesford, going out to rejoin his
regiment,--a handsome-looking man, but with a countenance not altogether
prepossessing, for it betokened selfishness and want of feeling, or the
lines about his firm set mouth, and large grey eyes, belied him.

The commander, Captain Lyford, was a fine specimen of a sailor. He made
himself agreeable to his passengers, and kept his ship's company in good
order. When nothing occurred to excite him, his face was calm and
unimpassioned; but it lighted up in a moment, and his clear, ringing
voice when issuing an order to the crew showed that there was no lack of
courage and determination in his composition.

There were the usual disputes and misunderstandings on board, which gave
the good skipper, who always acted as peacemaker, no little trouble to
settle. The ladies not infrequently fell out; and their quarrels, he
confessed, were the hardest matters to put to rights, especially when
jealousy set them by the ears. Mrs Brigadier Bomanjoy considered that
she did not receive the same attention which was paid to Mrs Lexicon,
the wife of the judge; and Miss Martha Pelican, who was making her
second expedition to the East, complained that the officers neglected
her, while they devoted themselves to silly Miss Prettyman, who had no
other qualifications than her pink cheeks and blue eyes to recommend
her. The "griffins" not infrequently had warm disputes; but the captain
quickly managed to settle their more noisy quarrels, and restore them to
good-humour.

"Come, come, lads," he used to say, "let's hear what it's all about, and
then we will get the whole matter into a nut-shell. It can be stowed
away in less space than that, I've no doubt; and when it's there, we'll
heave it overboard. Now then, shake hands, and forget all about it."

He did not, however, venture to interfere when husband and wife fell
out, considering that a third person would only make matters worse; and
more especially did he avoid interfering in the everlasting squabbles of
Major and Mrs Molony--which were indeed rather amusing than otherwise,
the object of the little lady being apparently to bring her lord and
master under the complete subjection of her imperious will, to which he,
good-tempered as he was, had no intention of yielding.

There were several very nice girls, of whom Miss Violet Ross was
universally considered the most charming. She was young, and very
pretty; fair as a lily, with blue eyes and rich a