mfited the fo.'"

"Robert Honyman all over!" cried the Admiral, with delight. "I could
swear that he wrote it, if it was written with his toes. 'Twas an old
joke against him, when he was lieutenant, that he never could spell his
own title; and he never would put an e after an o in any word. He is
far too straightforward a man to spell well; and now the loss of three
fingers will cut his words shorter than ever, and be a fine excuse
for him. He was faint again, when I boarded the Leda, partly no doubt
through strong medical measures; for the doctor, who is an ornament to
his profession, had cauterised his stumps with a marlinspike, for fear
of inflammation. And I heard that he had singed the other finger off.
But I hope that may prove incorrect. At any rate, I could not bear to
disturb him, but left written orders with Scudamore; for the senior was
on board the prize. Dolly, be off to bed, this moment."

"Well, now," said the Rector, drawing near, and filling another
deliberative pipe, "I have no right to ask what your orders were, and
perhaps you have no right to tell me. But as to the ship that remains in
my parish, or at any rate on its borders, if you can tell me anything,
I shall be very grateful, both as a question of parochial duty, and also
because of the many questions I am sure to have to answer from my wife
and daughter."

"There is no cause for secrecy; I will tell you everything:" the Admiral
hated mystery. "Why, the London papers will publish the whole of it, and
a great deal more than that, in three days' time. I have sent off the
Leda with her prize to Portsmouth. With this easterly breeze and smooth
water, they will get there, crippled as they are, in some twenty-four
hours. There the wounded will be cared for, and the prisoners drafted
off. The Blonde, the corvette which is aground, surrendered, as you
know, when she found herself helpless, and within range of our new
battery. Stubbard's men longed to have a few shots at her; but of course
we stopped any such outrage. Nearly all her officers and most of her
crew are on board the Leda, having given their parole to attempt no
rising; and Frenchmen are always honourable, unless they have some very
wicked leader. But we left in the corvette her captain, an exceedingly
fine fellow, and about a score of hands who volunteered to stay to help
to work the ship, upon condition that if we can float her, they shall
have their freedom. And we put a prize crew from