ogether walked down to the quay. "Mother would like to have gone
too," said Jack.

"It would not have suited. There are so many things here that will
want her eye."

"All the same, she would like to have gone." I had felt that it was
so, but yet she had never pressed her request.

On board I found Sir Ferdinando, and all the ship's officers with
him, in full dress. He had come, as I supposed, to see that I really
went; but he assured me, taking off his hat as he addressed me, that
his object had been to pay his last respects to the late President of
the republic. Nothing could now be more courteous than his conduct,
or less like the bully that he had appeared to be when he had first
claimed to represent the British sovereign in Britannula. And I must
confess that there was absent all that tone of domineering ascendancy
which had marked his speech as to the Fixed Period. The Fixed Period
was not again mentioned while he was on board; but he devoted himself
to assuring me that I should be received in England with every
distinction, and that I should certainly be invited to Windsor
Castle. I did not myself care very much about Windsor Castle; but
to such civil speeches I could do no other than make civil replies;
and there I stood for half an hour grimacing and paying compliments,
anxious for the moment when Sir Ferdinando would get into the
six-oared gig which was waiting for him, and return to the shore.
To me it was of all half-hours the weariest, but to him it seemed
as though to grimace and to pay compliments were his second nature.
At last the moment came when one of the junior officers came up to
Captain Battleax and told him that the vessel was ready to start.
"Now, Sir Ferdinando," said the captain, "I am afraid that the John
Bright must leave you to the kindness of the Britannulists."

"I could not be left in more generous hands," said Sir Ferdinando,
"nor in those of warmer friends. The Britannulists speak English as
well as I do, and will, I am sure, admit that we boast of a common
country."

"But not a common Government," said I, determined to fire a parting
shot. "But Sir Ferdinando is quite right in expecting that he
personally will receive every courtesy from the Britannulists. Nor
will his rule be in any respect disobeyed until the island shall,
with the agreement of England, again have resumed its own republican
position." Here I bowed, and he bowed, and we all bowed. Then he
departed, taking Jack