All this was accompanied by a shaking of the hand, which was enough to dislocate anybody’s shoulder, and which Charles was compelled to bear as well as he could.

It quite prevented him from speaking, however, for a few moments, for it nearly shook the breath out of him.  When, then, he could get in a word, he said,—­

“Uncle, I dare say you are surprised.”

“Surprised!  D—­n me, I am surprised.”

“Well, I shall be able to explain all to your satisfaction, I am sure.  Allow me now to introduce you to my friends.”

Turning then to Henry, Charles said,—­

“This is Mr. Henry Bannerworth, uncle; and this Mr. George Bannerworth, both good friends of mine; and this is Mr. Marchdale, a friend of theirs, uncle.”

“Oh, indeed!”

“And here you see Admiral Bell, my most worthy, but rather eccentric uncle.”

“Confound your impudence.”

“What brought him here I cannot tell; but he is a brave officer, and a gentleman.”

“None of your nonsense,” said the admiral.

“And here you sees Jack Pringle,” said that individual, introducing himself, since no one appeared inclined to do that office for him, “a tar for all weathers.  One as hates the French, and is never so happy as when he’s alongside o’ some o’ those lubberly craft blazing away.”

“That’s uncommonly true,” remarked the admiral.

“Will you walk in, sir?” said Henry, courteously.  “Any friend of Charles Holland’s is most welcome here.  You will have much to excuse us for, because we are deficient in servants at present, in consequence of come occurrences in our family, which your nephew has our full permission to explain to you in full”

“Oh, very good, I tell you what it is, all of you, what I’ve seen of you, d——­e, I like, so here goes.  Come along, Jack.”

The admiral walked into the house, and as he went, Charles Holland said to him,—­

“How came you to know I was here, uncle?”

“Some fellow wrote me a despatch.”

“Indeed!”

“Yes, saying at you was a going to marry some odd sort of fish as it wasn’t at all the thing to introduce into the family.”

“Was—­was a vampyre mentioned?”

“That’s the very thing.”

“Hush, uncle—­hush.”

“What for?”

“Do not, I implore, hint at such a thing before these kind friends of mine.  I will take an opportunity within the next hour of explaining all to you, and you shall form your own kind and generous judgement upon circumstances in which my honour and my happiness are so nearly concerned.”

“Gammon,” said the admiral.

“What, uncle?”

“Oh, I know you want to palaver me into saying it’s all right.  I suppose if my judgment and generosity don’t like it, I shall be an old fool, and a cursed goose?”

“Now, uncle.”

“Now, nevey.”

“Well, well—­no more at present.  We will talk over this at leisure.  You promise me to say nothing about it until you have heard my explanation, uncle?”