re!"

The sound made his sisters jump from their chairs. Tom clapped his
hands with delight, and laughed till the tears rolled down his cheeks.
In rushed the butler and footman and two housemaids, with dusters in
their hands, to ascertain what was the matter. Sir John came hurrying
in from the garden with a look of astonishment on his countenance, and
her ladyship's own maid was sent down to know if anything had happened.

"I told you so," said Jack to his sisters. "I was only speaking as we
do sometimes at sea," he added, turning to the servants, the female
portion of whom lingered to take an admiring look at their young master.

Sir John gazed with a father's pride at his manly son, and then looked
at Tom, about whom he had the evening before received a letter from
Admiral Triton, saying that if the boy still wished to go into the Navy,
he should have great pleasure in getting him forthwith appointed to a
ship.

"If the service turns him out as fine a fellow as his brother, I shall
not regret should he choose it," thought the baronet. "I'll talk to him
and Jack about the matter by-and-by, and ascertain the real bent of the
boy's inclinations." Had Tom known what was passing in his father's
mind he would speedily have decided the question.

The whole party were soon assembled at breakfast--that pleasantest and
most sociable of meals in an English country-house. Besides the members
of the family already introduced, there was Lady Rogers--fair, comely,
gentle-mannered--and kind-hearted--Paul the eldest son, studying the law
that he might take the better care of his paternal estates; and, lastly,
Sidney, a captain in the Guards, at home on leave. Then there were
several guests, county neighbours, who had come for a couple of nights,
a brother officer of Sidney's and a school-fellow of Lucy's. Jack cast
an appreciating glance over the breakfast-table, with its plates of
attractive little rolls, its racks of thin, crisp toast, its small pats
of butter, swimming amid ice in elegantly-designed bowls of crystal, its
eggs under snow-white napkins, its covered dishes containing muffins or
sausages or other minute delicacies, its hissing urn and cream and milk
jugs, and tea set at one end, and its coffee set at the other, presided
over by two sweet-looking girls; and then he smilingly looked over his
shoulder at the side-board, on which, among various comestibles,
appeared a round of beef, another of brawn, a huge ham