The herald., 1898-06-05
Ill.

III.
III.
We were ordered to join Sir John
Jervis fleet in the Mediterranean with
out the loss of day, and when the tide
served at nine o'clock that night, Sir
Peter Hawkshaw was ready for it. 1t
was a brilliant moonlight night, good
breeze was blowing, and the Ajax
got under way with an unusual spread
of SAIL AS we passed out the narrow
entrance into the roads. the wind fresh
ened and the great ship took her ma
jestic way through the fleet, noun
tain of canvas showing from rail to
truck. The first few days 1 was over
come, as it were, with my new life and
its duties. We spent most of our spare
time expressing the greatest longing
for q meeting with the French, al
though for my own part, even while
was Dragging the most, 1 felt a sickness
at the heart when 1 imagined a round
shot entering my vitals. Giles Vernon
was still the dearest object of my ad-
miration and affections-always ex-
cepting that divinely beautiful lady
Arabella. But this was rather the ad-
miration of a glowworm for q star.
l did not much trouble myself about
that meeting, so far in the future, be-
tween Giles and Overton Youth has
no future, as it has no past.
Naturally, l did not see much of my
great-uncle, the admiral. He was a
strict dlsciplinarian. probably because
he was used to discipline at home, and
busted himself more with the conduct
Of the ship than the captain liked.
One day the admirals steward
brought me q message. The admirals s
compliments, and would I dine in the
great cabin at five o'clock that day.
I was frightened out of a years
growth by the invitation, but of course
I responded that L would be most hap
py. This, like my professed anxiety to
meet the French, was a great lie. At
five o'clock l presented myself, trem-
bling in every limb. The first thing
noted in the cabin was a large portrait
of Lady Hawllshaw as q young woman.
She must have been very handsome.
Sir Peter gave me two fingers, and
turning to the steward, said, Soup"
Soup was brought. We were mostly
out of fresh vegetables then, and it was
pea-soup, such as we had in the cock
pit. Sir Peter grumbled a little at it,
and it was soon removed and a leg of
pork brought on; a pig had been killed
that day.
aha" shifted Sir Peter, delightedly.
"This is fine. Nephew, you have no pig
in the gun room to-day
Which was true; and Sir Peter helped
me literally and proceeded to do the
same by himself. The steward, how
ever. said respectfully:
Excuse me, Sir Peter, but in the in
Lady Hawkshaw, before sailing sir,
she particularly desired me to request
you not to eat pork as it always dis
agreed with you.'
VIII VIII what" roared Sir Peter.
II am only repeating Lady Hawk
shaw's message, SIR" humbly respond
ed the man.
Sir Peter glared at him and then at
the leg of pork, and suddenly jumping
up, seized the dish and threw it, pork
and all, out of the stern window. AS 1
had secured my portion, 1 could view
this with equanimity.
The next dish was spareribs. The
steward said nothing, but Sir Peter let
1t pass with a groan. 1t seemed to me
that everything appetizing in the din
ner was passed by Sir Peter, in re-
sponse to a peculiar kind of warning
glance from the steward. This man, 1
heard afterward, had sailed with him
many years, and was understood to be
an emissary of Lady hawkshaw's.
We had, besides the pea-soup and
roast pork, sparerbs. potatoes. turnips,
anchovy with sauce, and custard. Sir
Peter, however dined off pea-soup and
potatoes; but I observed that he was
his own master as far as the decanters
were concerned, and it occurred to me
that he had made a trade with the
steward by which he was allowed this
Indulgence, as l noticed the man turned
his back every time Sir Peter filled his
glass.
Dinner being over, the cloth removed,
and the steward gone, Sir Peter ap-
pearo,. to be in a somewhat better
hurnor. His first remark was:
$50 you are fond of the play. sir?"
l replied that I had never been but
once
"The time you went with Giles Ver-
non. If the coacl had broken down
etween London and Port smout'- we
hould have sailed without either one
{ you"
+ did not mention that the coach had
Upset, but merely said thct we thought
there was no danger of any detention,
and that Giles Vernon waa in no way
responsible for my going t. London, as
he knew nothing about it until we met
at the coach door.