“When a man has been tossing up and down for five-and-forty years, Captain Howard,” returned his host, stroking his gray locks, for want of some other manner of suppressing his ire, “he gets to be indifferent whether his ship pitches a foot more or a foot less.”

“Ah! that, I dare say, is what one calls philosophical equanimity, though little to my humour.  But, after this cruise, I am to be posted; and then I shall make interest for a guard-ship in the Thames; every thing goes by interest now-a-days, you know, Big-nail.”

The honest old tar swallowed his displeasure as well as he could; and, as the most effectual means of keeping himself in a condition to do credit to his own hospitality, he hastened to change the subject.

“I hope, among other new fashions, Captain Howard,” he said, “the flag of Old England continues to fly over the Admiralty.  You wore the colours of Louis so long this morning, that another half hour might have brought us to loggerheads.”

“Oh! that was an excellent military ruse!  I shall certainly write the particulars of that deception home.”

“Do so; do so, sir; you may get knighthood for the exploit.”

“Horrible, Bignall! my Lady mother would faint at the suggestion.  Nothing so low has been in the family, I do assure you, since the time when chivalry was genteel.”

“Well, well, Captain Howard, it was happy for us both that you got rid of your Gallic humour so soon; for a little more time would have drawn a broadside from me.  By heavens, sir, the guns of this ship would have gone off of themselves, in another five minutes!”

“It is quite happy as it is.—­What do you find to amuse you (yawning) in this dull quarter of the world, Bignall?”

“Why, sir, what between his Majesty’s enemies, the care of my ship, and the company of my officers, I find few heavy moments.”

“Ah! your officers:  True, you must have officers on board; though, I suppose, they are a little oldish to be agreeable to you.  Will you favour me with a sight of the list?”

The Commander of the ‘Dart’ did as he was requested, putting the quarter-bill of his ship into the hands of his unknown enemy, with an eye that was far too honest to condescend to bestow even a look on a being so much despised.

“What a list of thorough ’mouthers!  All Yarmouth, and Plymouth, and Portsmouth, and Exmouth names, I do affirm.  Here are Smiths enough to do the iron-work of the whole ship.  Ha! here is a fellow that might do good service in a deluge.  Who may be this Henry Ark, that I find rated as your first lieutenant?”

“A youth who wants but a few drops of your blood, Captain Howard, to be one day at the head of his Majesty’s fleet.”

“If he be then so extraordinary for his merit, Captain Bignall, may I presume on your politeness to ask him to favour us with his society.  I always give my lieutenant half an hour of a morning—­if he be genteel.”