s as well not to think about the future. If the Lords of the
Admiralty insist on my taking the command of a ship, unless I make up my
mind to give up the service, I must accept their offer. However, at
present, as they do not know where to find me, I am not likely to hear
about the matter, even should they offer me a ship, so let's be happy
while we can, and drive dull care away."

The fine weather continued until the _Stella_ had got to the westward of
the Eddystone, when it came on to blow pretty hard from the southward.
Murray proposed running into Falmouth for the sake of the ladies.

"Will there be any danger if we continue the voyage?" asked his wife.

"Not the slightest; at the utmost we need only expect a summer gale, and
though we may have a heavy sea when doubling the Lizard, once round it
there will be a fair wind for us," was the answer.

The ladies were unanimous in their desire to keep at sea, so the yacht
stood on her course. They certainly did repent of their resolve when
the beacon on the Wolf Rock appeared on the starboard hand, and the gale
came down with redoubled force, while a heavy sea got up, such as those
who have often been in the chops of the Channel have experienced to
their cost. The ladies, however, showed not a shadow of fear.

The yacht behaved beautifully. Murray knew that he could trust to her
spars and rigging, for Ben had superintended the fitting out of the
vessel, and set up each shroud and stay, and carefully examined every
inch of her masts and yards, so that he felt confident that not a flaw
existed. In a short time the helm was put up and the yacht stood for
the passage between the Land's End and the Scilly Isles, guided by the
two magnificent lights, the Longships on the starboard bow and those of
the light vessel off the Seven Stones on the port.

"Why, I expected that we should have a terrible night of it; how
suddenly the gale has gone down!" exclaimed Julia, not aware that the
yacht had been just put before the wind, as she and the other ladies
were seated on the sofas in the luxurious cabin.

The yacht, instead of heeling over as she had hitherto been doing, was
on a tolerably even keel, though she gave now and then a little playful
roll or pitch into the seas as she rapidly clove her way over them.

Jack came down and invited them to come on deck and see the two lights,
which now appeared before them on each bow.

"Before the light vessel on the port bow was