fitting
out of his new vessel. Our hero made good progress during the few
months that he remained at the _pension_, and when McElvina returned to
take him away, not only could speak the French language with fluency,
but had also made considerable progress in what Sir W. C--- used to
designate in his toast as "the three R's,"--viz., "Reading, 'Riting, and
'Rithmetic."

The lugger which had been built for McElvina by his employer was now
ready, and, bidding farewell to Debriseau, who continued in the
Cherbourg trade, our hero and his protector journeyed _en diligence_ to
Havre.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

Through the haze of the night a bright flash now appearing,
"Oh, ho!" cried Will Watch, "the Philistines bear down;
Bear a hand, my tight lads, ere we think about sheering,
One broadside pour in, should we swim, boys, or drown."
SEA SONG.

"Now, Willy, what do you think of _La Belle Susanne_?" said McElvina, as
they stood on the pier, about a stone's throw from the vessel, which lay
with her broadside towards them. Not that McElvina had any opinion of
Willy's judgment, but, from the affectionate feeling which every sailor
imbibes for his own ship, he expected gratification even in the
admiration of a child. The lugger was certainly as beautiful a model of
that description of vessel as had ever been launched from a slip. At
the distance of a mile, with the sea running, it was but occasionally
that you could perceive her long black hull--so low was she in the
water, and so completely were her bulwarks pared down; yet her breadth
of beam was very great, and her tonnage considerable, as may be inferred
when it is stated that she mounted sixteen long brass nine-pounders, and
was manned with one hundred and thirty men. But now that she was lying
at anchor in smooth water, you had an opportunity of examining, with the
severest scrutiny, the beautiful run of the vessel, as she sat graceful
as a diver, and appeared, like that aquatic bird, ready to plunge in at
a moment, and disappear under the wave cleft by her sharp forefoot, and
rippling under her bows.

"When shall we sail?" inquired Willy, after bestowing more judicious
encomiums upon the vessel than might be expected.

"To-morrow night, if the wind holds to the southward. We took in our
powder this morning. Where were you stationed at quarters on board the
---?"

"Nowhere. I was not on the ship's books until a day or two before I
left her."

"The