“Now, I’ll tell you what,” said the admiral, “I would do.  It’s quite out of the question for any body to live long unless they see a ship; don’t you think so, Miss Flora?”

“Why, how can you ask Flora such a question, uncle,” said Charles Holland, “when you know she don’t care a straw about ships, and only looks upon admirals as natural curiosities?”

“Excepting one,” said Flora, “and he is an admiral who is natural but no curiosity, unless it he that you, can call him such because he is so just and generous, and, as for ships, who can help admiring them; and if Admiral Bell proposes that we live in some pleasant, marine villa by the sea-coast, he shall have my vote and interest for the proceeding.”

“Bravo!  Huzza!” cried the admiral.  “I tell you what it is, Master Charley—­you horse marine,—­I have a great mind to cut you out, and have Miss Flora myself.”

“Don’t, uncle,” said Charles; “that would be so very cruel, after she has promised me so faithfully.  How do you suppose I should like it; come now, be merciful.”

At this moment, and before any one could make another remark, there came rather a sharp ring at the garden-gate bell, and Henry exclaimed,—­

“That’s Mr. Chillingworth, and I am glad he has come in time to join our conference.  His advice is always valuable; and, moreover, I rather think he will bring us some news worth the hearing.”

The one servant who they had to wait upon them looked into the room, and said,—­“If you please, here is Mrs. Chillingworth.”

“Mistress? you mean Mr.”

“No; it is Mrs. Chillingworth and her baby.”

“The devil!” said the admiral; “what can she want?”

“I’ll come and let you know,” said Mrs. Chillingworth, “what I want;” and she darted into the room past the servant.  “I’ll soon let you know, you great sea crab.  I want my husband; and what with your vampyre, and one thing and another, I haven’t had him at home an hour for the past three weeks.  What am I to do?  There is all his patients getting well as fast as they can without him; and, when they find that out, do you think they will take any more filthy physic?  No, to be sure not; people ain’t such fools as to do anything of the sort.”

“I’ll tell you what we will do, ma’am,” said the admiral; “we’ll all get ill at once, on purpose to oblige ye; and I’ll begin by having the measles.”

“You are an old porpoise, and I believe it all owing to you that my husband neglects his wife and family.  What’s vampyres to him, I should like to know, that he should go troubling about them?  I never heard of vampyres taking draughts and pills.”

“No, nor any body else that had the sense of a goose,” said the admiral; “but if it’s your husband you want, ma’am, it’s no use your looking for him here, for here he is not.”

“Then where is he?  He is running after some of your beastly vampyres somewhere, I’ll be bound, and you know where to send for him.”