nted at once to the deck just as the gong sounded for breakfast.

"I am very glad to meet you, Mr. Webb, and to welcome you to my ship,
which is the steam-yacht Guardian-Mother, on a voyage around the world,"
said the captain, as he grasped the hand of the official. "Captain
Ringgold, at your service."

"I am very happy to meet you, Captain, for I have heard of you; and I
tender my services for any assistance I may be able to render to you and
your party," replied the consul.

"Now I will introduce you to the ladies and gentlemen on board, and you
will do us the honor to breakfast with us," added the commander, as he
took the arm of his guest, and conducted him to the promenade, where he
was duly presented to all the passengers individually.

Louis Belgrave was presented as the owner of the steamer, for the
captain never omitted to give him a prominent position. The breakfast
was the usual one; but it was always very nice, and Mr. Sage had hailed
a boat, and obtained some very fine fish for the meal. Mr. Webb was
placed on the right of the commander, Louis's usual place; but he was
glad enough always to get the seat next to Miss Blanche. The consul was
next to Mrs. Belgrave; and he found her very agreeable, as she never
failed to be.

"Now, what are we going to do here, Mr. Commander?" asked the "first
lady," as some had actually begun to call her already.

"We are going to see the city, of course," he replied.

"I feel for one as though we had already seen it, and I can see it all
in my mind's eye now," added the lady. "You and the professor have given
us such a minute account of the place and its surroundings that it seems
to me that I have taken it all in."

"I think most of us have," said Mrs. Woolridge; and several of the
company expressed themselves to the same effect.

"We have several books in the library about the city and the islands,
and some of us have read them all," suggested Louis.

"What books have you on board, Mr. Belgrave?" asked the consul.

"We have 'Twenty Years in the Philippines' by Monsieur de la Gironiere,
which some say was written by Alexandre Dumas, but I don't know about
that; 'Travels in the Philippines,' by F. Jagor, with an epitome of the
work in _Harper's Magazine_; and we have Chambers's Encyclopaedia,
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the present year, and some other works."

"You seem to be well provided with information, and with the best
extant, unless you consult the archives