step
down and just show you, my lady, and the rest of the good people here,
how we dance aboard. If I had but Sam Smatch and his fiddle, I'll
warrant people would say which was the right and which was the wrong way
pretty quickly."

Lady Elmore explained to him, much to his surprise, that none but the
actors who were paid for it were allowed to appear on the stage, but
assured him that she would be very glad if some evening he would give
them, at her house, an exhibition of his skill in dancing the hornpipe.

"That I will, my lady, with all my heart!" he exclaimed frankly.
"There's nothing I wouldn't do to please you and the young ladies; and I
think that you would like to see a right real sailor's hornpipe danced.
It does my heart good to dance it, I know. It is rare fun."

On driving home, Lady Elmore asked him how he liked the play altogether.

"Well, my lady," he exclaimed, "much obliged to you for taking me to the
place! It was very good sport, but I should have liked it better if I
could have lent a hand in the work. When there is a scrimmage, it is
natural-like to wish to be in it. And I couldn't bear to see that black
pirate fellow carry off the young gal, and all the gold and silver
plates and candlesticks, and not be able just to go and rout out his
nest of villains."

This visit to the play enabled his friends to understand True Blue's
style of thought and manners far better than they had before done, and
was in reality of considerable benefit to him. Gentle of heart and
right-minded, and brave as a lion, he was still a rough sailor; and only
a considerable time spent in the society of polished people could have
given him the polish which is looked-for in a gentleman.

The next day the King was to prorogue Parliament. Mr Leslie called in
the morning and took his nephew and young guest down towards Westminster
to wait for his approach. True Blue was full of excitement at the
thought of seeing the King. "I wonder what he can be like? He must be
a very grand person to have so many big ships all of his own," he
observed to Mr Leslie.

"You would find His Majesty a very affable, kind old gentleman if he
were to speak to you at any time," said Mr Leslie. "Here he comes,
though. You will see him inside the coach. Take off your hat when he
passes."

At a slow and stately pace the carriage of the kind-hearted monarch of
Great Britain approached. First came the body of Life Guards, their
belts w