ter his
father, who has taken it into his head to go to sea, and as nothing I
can say will make him alter his mind, I suppose he must have his way.
I have written to our cousin, Lord Derrynane, and asked him to try and
get Gerald appointed to the _Plantagenet_, as I should like him to be
under Hemming and you. He is a `broth of a boy,' as we say here, and
I know for my sake, Jack, that you will look after him. They say that
he is very like me, which won't be in his disfavour in your eyes--
though I don't think I ever was such a wild youngster as he is; not
that there's a grain of harm in him. Mind that, and he'll soon get
tamed down in the navy. I don't think I ever wrote so long a letter
in my life, and so as it's high time to bring it to an end, farewell,
Jack, till we meet, and may that be soon, is the sincere wish of,

"Yours ever faithful and true,

"TERENCE ADAIR."

"Of course I will look after his nephew, as I would my own brother.
I'll write and tell him so, though he knows it," exclaimed Jack; "and
now, Lucy, what do you think of my old shipmate?"

"I cannot exactly say that I admire the style of his epistle, but I have
no doubt that he is as kind-hearted and brave as you describe him,"
answered Lucy.

"I don't mean to say that he is much of a letter-writer," said Jack;
"but at all events he writes as he feels and speaks, in the belief that
no eye but mine would read what he had written. His mind is like a
glass--it can be seen through at a glance; and he has no idea of
concealing a single thought from those he trusts, though he is close
enough with the world in general; and I can tell you that he is as true
as steel, and as brave and high-spirited as he is kind-hearted and
generous."

"A perfect hero of romance," observed Lucy, laughing; "I am really sorry
that he is not coming here to enable us to judge of him fairly."

Possibly Lucy thought more about Lieutenant Adair than she chose to
acknowledge. She could not, however, help reflecting that her mamma
would look upon an Irish half-pay naval lieutenant, with a host of
penniless brothers and sisters, in no very favourable light, should he
come in the character of a suitor, so that after all it was just as well
he could not accept Jack's invitation.

Jack made the most of his time while he remained at Halliburton Hall,
winning the good-will of everybody in the neighbourhood. He laughed and
talked and danced with the