devilish glad to see you;" and as he spoke, he grasped my hand in his herculean fist.

This was certainly a most unexpected rencontre. One of the angry duellists was an old schoolfellow of mine, Tom Halliday; and his antagonist was no other than honest Mr. Tunbridge, ci-devant aid-de-camp to Sir H. L. at St. Helena, whom the reader may perhaps recollect as having been my constant attendant during my rides and walks with Sophia- I shook them both cordially by the hand, truly delighted to see them; and having called for an additional supply of liquor, we all sat down in friendship to talk over old stories. As to fighting, that was for the present never thought of; and though the pistols and ammunition lay all the while on the table, not the slightest allusion was made by my two friends to their recent quarrel. The wish not to disturb the harmony of so unexpected a meeting seemed to prevail; and after a few rounds of cognac punch, the utmost hilarity and good-fellowship were the order of the night.

"And how have you been, Mr. Lascelles, since you left St. Helena?" said Tunbridge. "Sad doings we had there shortly after you went away. You have of course heard of his death?"

"We called at Helena," I replied, "in coming home, and I visited his grave."

"Ay, that was just like yourself; and how is the yew-tree thriving? I planted it with my own hands."

"It was well done of you, Mr. Tunbridge," I replied; he was a great man; and when the grave closes even on an enemy, nothing but good should be remembered. Poor Napoleon."

"D-n Napoleon!" cried Tunbridge, striking his huge fist on the table; "I don't mean him; it's Nestor that's dead! Napoleon, forsooth! Poor fellow! he died of an inflammation, and that in spite of all our blistering and bleeding. But we are all mortal, Mr. Lascelles, though I certainly did hope that poor Nestor would have lived to have taken the shine out of some of the prime ones in England. Poor Miss Sophia! I thought it would have broken her

heart; for what, with that and your going away, the poor thing did not hold up her head for a month. Your uncle, indeed, was not so down-mouthed about it as might have been expected, and bore his loss better; he's a cool man, the general. I remember he stood near me when I received that cursed ball in my knee, and he laughed as if he would have died, though the shot sent me down, as if I had been killed in good earnest; he's a brave man, is the general. And, by the way, talking of that," he continued, turning round to Halliday, "it may perhaps be as well to observe that you and I have all this time forgotten to fight.”

"Very true," replied Halliday, with true Oxonian frankness; " and, with your leave, I have no objections to postpone the affair altogether."

"With all my heart," replied Tunbridge; "it is equally the same to me, and, to say the truth, I begin to like you too well to care about shooting you, or even being shot by you; for though you do not belong to the service, like Mr. Lascelles here, and myself, yet you're a devilish good fellow, and there's my hand on't."

It was late in the morning before our convivialities ended, and Tunbridge having agreed to accompany me for a few days to my father's, we left Tom Halliday, after many kind farewells, to pursue his journey to Oxford, and took the road northward. Being advertised of my arrival, my father met us one stage from home, and we travelled the rest of the way in his chariot. It was a cold, dull, drizzling morning; but, notwithstanding the ungeniality of the weather, no sooner did our vehicle draw up at the door, than down came my mother and sisters, with loud shouts of welcome, to receive us. It so happened that honest Tunbridge, muffled up in his military cloak, was the first to alight, and my mother not expecting any stranger, received him in her arms, and imprinted a warm kiss on his somewhat rough visage. The astonished lieutenant started back in amazement at this cordial reception, and his military cap falling from his head at the moment, displayed him in all the perfections of his bald pate, and pox-seamed countenance.

"No, mother," said I, stepping for ward, and clasping her in my arms; "it is not Edward, but it is Edward's friend, and one fully as worthy of welcome as Edward himself."

I shall not detain the reader with a detail of all the happiness I experienced during my residence in my father's house. I now enjoyed the privilege which I had often envied others, namely, the privilege of being a guest," at home, whom every one was bent on making happy and comfortable. The neighbours were visited; parties of pleasure were formed; riding, driving, hunting, fishing, during the day, dancing and music at night, left no heavy time on hand. Every one was kinder to me than another; and even after all my "stories" had been fifty times told, they were still called for, and listened to at least with patience; a proof certainly of no small indul gence and forbearance. Indeed the constant repetition of all the "Scenes" I had witnessed became at last irksome to myself, and I was often fain to "back out," when requested to enter on any particular narrative. This, however, was sometimes impossible, and I was frequently obliged to submit to my fate. At the house of one of our neighbours in particular, at which I was a frequent guest, and the owner of which was a fine specimen of the good-hearted English gentleman, my own patience and that of the company were very often put to the test. Invariably, after dinner, as soon as the first glass of claret had circulated, our worthy, entertainer would gather the bottles before him, and settling himself in his huge high-backed chair, call across the table to me"I say, Ned, hadn't you a fire once on board the Hesperus ? tell us how it happened, will ye?" At this question every one present, who had heard the unfortunate story of the fire, put on a look of resignation, and I had no alternative but to launch at once into the narrative, endeavouring, in compassion to my hearers, to curtail it as much as possible. When I had finished, our good host would once more set the bottles in circulation, with the remark—“Well, he must be an honest

a

fellow, that Morley, and we'll drink bumper to his health. I say, Ned, do you think there's any chance of my getting him down for a month or two to the hall ?"

And now shall I confess to my fair readers, should any such honour me with the perusal of these pages, that before I had been many weeks at home, the image of Catherine had faded from my heart, and I already sunned myself in the blue eyes of a fair-haired girl, resident for the time in my father's house. It was a feeling that stole insensibly upon me, for I was not at the time predisposed to be in love; but those who have seen Matilda, and who knew the accom plishments of her mind, the amiability of her disposition, and the unsophisti cated gentleness of her manners, will not think the feeling strange. Con stantly in her society, and with constant opportunities of admiring her many good qualities, I can only ask in the words of the Scottish poet,

"Oh! was I to blame to love her?" But there was too much of Elysium in the life which I now led, that it should be of long continuance. Six weeks had scarcely elapsed since my arrival at home, when I received an order to join the frigate, lying at Portsmouth, for the purpose of joining the Flag-ship in the Mediterranean. This was exactly what I had most earnestly desired. The Mediterranean is, of all the seas in the world, the most delightful to cruise in; and, as the admiral was an intimate friend of my father, there appeared every prospect of my having sufficient opportu nity to visit many of the places asso ciated with my earliest ideas of beauty and grandeur. Accordingly, after many kind farewells, and sighs, and tears, I once more tore myself from home, and arrived safely in London. Here it was no small addition to the pleasure I anticipated, when I learned that an expedition was expected to pro ceed forthwith to Algiers, to ensure the strict performance of the treaty which Lord Exmouth had some time before forced upon the Dey, in no very gentle manner. It appeared that various in fringements had from time to time been made on the terms of this treaty

that complaints from different quar

ters had, in consequence, reached the admiral, and that things had even gone so far that the British Consul had actually quitted the port. This was glorious news.

As the frigate in which I was to obtain a passage was to sail without delay, I had but little time to spend in London; and, accordingly, the second morning after my arrival I mounted the box-seat of the Rocket, and under the guidance of that cele brated whip, Scarlett, was safely depo sited towards evening at the Fountain Inn. As it was too late to wait upon the captain of the frigate, who had lodgings at Portsea, and wishing to spend one more rational evening before descending to the horrors of a midship man's berth, I made my toilet, and proceeded to deliver a letter which my father had given me to the Governor of Portsmouth. By this excellent individual I was most kindly received, and, being invited to dinner, I spent the evening in a manner quite suited to my taste.

Early next morning I proceeded to Portsea, and soon found the lodgings of my new captain. Having made a somewhat bashful appeal to the knocker, the door was opened by a dirty slip shod serving girl, whose unwashed face and slovenly appearance did not augur much for the cleanliness of the interior. After sending up my name as in duty bound for no one can approach the captain of a man-of-war, even on shore, without a due observance of ceremo nial followed the fair ancilla up a narrow, dirty, carpetless flight of wooden stairs, and soon reached the entrance of the apartment which contained the object of my visit. Everything without bore the appearance of untidiness and want of comfort; but the scene within baffles all description. The floor was literally littered with all sorts of trum pery. Trunks, band-boxes, bonnets, boots, shawls, epaulettes, silk gowns, and swords, were strewed about in every direction, and in the most admirable confusion. At a small uncovered table, near the centre of the room, on which stood a dirty, half-broken breakfast service, sat an elegant-looking female, with long dark hair and piercing eyes, but characterized by that languid slothfulness of appearance and sallow tint of complexion which invariably distin

guish the Portuguese women when past the prime of life. She hung listlessly over a cup of tea and a large slice of buttered toast, seeming, from the noise and confusion, to be totally unconscious of what was passing around her. Opposite one of the two small windows by which the apartment was lighted sat a remarkably beautiful girl of about fifteen, evidently the daughter of her senior companion, with the same dark silken hair and fiery eyes, but with a complexion the almost transparent pureness of which evinced the intermixture of English blood. Her slender figure was wrapped up to the chin in what appeared to be an old packing cloth, and the celebrated Portsmouth barber

with whom every sailor is acquainted was engaged in dressing her hair, cutting as many capers round her with his comb and scissors as a midshipman over a dead marine. More alive than her mother, she seemed to keep an eye on everything that was going forward, and a slight blush suffused her lovely counte nance at being discovered by a stranger in so unseemly a position.. At a pierglass which occupied the space between the windows, with his back turned towards me as I entered, stood a tall thin man, in a pair of dirty red slippers, not much cleaner white trowsers, and blue-check shirt. Of his face, which was lathered up to the eyes with a thick coating of soap-suds, nothing was visible save a pair of piercing grey eyes, and a most enormous aquiline nose. His right hand held aside this huge proboscis, and in his left he bran dished a razor with such a look of fierce determination, that it seemed doubtful whether he meant to shave or commit a felo de se. Near him stood a middle-sized stiff-built sailor, (the coxwain of the frigate,) who for the present enacted the part of valet of the toilet, and who was patiently waiting the termination of the shaving process, in order that he might pack up the apparatus in a half-filled trunk that stood at his side.

Not a little alarmed at the picture before me, and suffering under the agitation usually attendant on one's first visit to a new captain, I made my bow as well as I could, and presently the hero of the razor-for it was no other than the dreaded He-turned round, and, staring me full in the face, roared

"I have come, sir," I replied, in a most respectful tone, "to join the frigate as a supernumerary, for a passage to the Flag-ship in the Mediterranean." "Well, sir," roared the courteous captain, "and why the devil couldn't you go aboard at once, without coming to pester me with such d-d nonsense."

"I have brought some letters of introduction for you, sir," I replied, in the same submissive tone; "and I thought it”

"Then put them on the table, sir, and take yourself off. Letters of introduction, forsooth! I've had enough of these matters, by - already! It is not a week since two of your stamp, with their dd letters of introduction, managed to stick me in for more than a hundred pounds. But tell the first lieutenant that I shall be on board presently, and I'll make a clean ship of them before they're many hours older. Well, sir, what the devil are you standing staring there for, when I told you to be off?" -Making a very blundering bow, I was glad of an opportunity to escape from so choleric a commander; and not deeming, from the specimen I had just received, that he was a person to be trifled with, I proceeded on board, with no further delay than what was occasioned by some cold beef. and porter at that snuggest of all snug inns, Mrs. Harrison's on the Hard. The frigate was lying at Spithead; and as I neared her I was satisfied, from her trim respectable appearance, that, whatever might be the eccentricities of the captain, there was at least one sailor on board. I was received by the first lieutenant, a very gentlemanlike, middle-aged man, who inspected my order to join, and welcomed me very graciously on board. I then delivered the captain's message regarding the two midshipmen, who, it appeared, had justly incensed him by obtaining his indorsements to bills for a considerable amount, which had been dishonoured.

Yes, sir," said the lieutenant, "I have heard of that already, and heartily glad I shall be to get rid of this couple of

rascals. I fear, sir, you will not find your berth the most comfortable at present; but as there are three of you supernumeraries, I shall hope for your assistance in working out a thorough reform in that quarter, and if we get clear of those two scoundrels who have been leading my youngsters into every species of impropriety, I have no doubt a good deal may be done in the way of improvement. As to the others, I have been too much occupied fitting out to pay them so much attention as I could have wished, and I warrant they have learned some bad tricks already; but when I get them once into blue water, I'll soon work the rust off them."

To my great delight, one of the other supernumeraries was a passed midshipman of the Hesperus, also bound to join the flag-ship, and the other appeared a very gentlemanly young man, about my own standing in the service. But as for the middies' berth, I cannot describe the disgust I experienced on my first introduction to it. Everything was filthy, confused, and slovenly; and the manners, the language, the whole bearing of the "young gentlemen," so low, so ungentlemanlike, so different from what I had been accustomed to on board the clean, well-regulated Hesperus, that my old shipmate and myself agreed that unless we could effect some reform in the present disgraceful state of things, we should decline associating with such disagreeable messmates. On the arrival of the captain on board, the two midshipmen who had obtained his indorsements in so unprincipled a manner, and who had been the main cause of the disorderly state in which we found the midshipman's berth, were sent on shore, bag and baggage, and everything seemed now to favour our views of reformation, As soon as our intentions became ge nerally known, several of our messmates joined our standard; and by a little care and attention we so completely succeeded in our purpose, that on our arrival at Gibraltar few people would have recognized the berth or its inhabitants in their altered condi tion.

Things being better arranged in this department, our voyage became unspeakably more agreeable, although Captain was certainly one of the most eccentric men I ever met in

command. He could not, indeed, be said to be a martinet, for his humours were chiefly of an harmless and entertaining description; and he was withal so essentially goodnatured, that he was rather liked on board than otherwise.

At Gibraltar we had but little time to spend, as we found orders waiting for us there to proceed without delay to join the fleet off Algiers, which port was already blockaded by our ships. Accordingly, our stay was as limited as possible, and we were soon running up the Mediterranean with a fine favourable breeze. The weather after leaving Gibraltar was exceedingly hot, and in our confined berth so sultry and oppressive, that we could neither eat nor sleep with comfort. It was accordingly voted one afternoon that, as there was every prospect of a continuance of settled weather, we might take upon ourselves to knock out our scuttle, and thus admit a little fresh air. It so happened, however, that shortly after this had been done the captain came on the gangway, and immediately descrying the open scuttle, he turned round to the first lieutenant, and observed, in his usual caustic manner, screwing his mouth, and twisting his huge nose to one side of his face .." Luxurious dogs these midshipmen of mine, aren't they—eh !"

"They must have felt it over hot in the berth, sir, I suppose," replied the sieutenant, in a conciliatory tone.

"Hot! and be dd to them," cried the captain; "what business have they to feel heat or cold either? but I'll remember them for this-see if I don't."

No order, however, being issued to reclose the scuttle, and no farther notice being taken of the circumstance to any of us, we began to flatter ourselves that the affair would be allowed to pass. During the whole of that day the weather continued very fine; but towards evening the breeze began to freshen considerably, and there was every indication of a coming gale. To the astonishment of everyone on board, the captain, who was at all times careful, and during the night carried his caution to the very verge of timidity, instead of taking any precautions to

meet the gale with which every one saw we were threatened, continued to hold on exactly as if no change at all in the weather had taken place. Gradually the breeze increased until it blew exceedingly strong; but still, although the spars had enough to do with it, considering the press of sail under which we were, no orders were issued for reefing.

"Hands by top-gallant sheets and halyards," cried the first lieutenant.

"Ay, ay," said one of our midshipmen, "look at the old boy how nobly he carries on. I always said he would carry sail when there was occasion: what a dl of a hurry he's in to get at these Algerines!"

It now blew a perfect gale, but still the captain paced about the deck without taking the slightest precaution for the safety of his ship, and looking as indifferent as if it had been the most moderate weather in the world.

"Hadn't we better shorten sail, sir?" whispered the lieutenant in his ear.

"No! no!” cried the captain, with his usual half smile, or rather half grin; "keep all past! I'll teach those midshipmen by

to open their scuttle! Carry on, Mr. ; carry on, I say, and give them a h-ll of a wetting."

"It is blowing so hard, sir," replied the lieutenant, submissively, “that if we dont shorten sail the breeze will presently save us the trouble."

"D-n the breeze, sir," roared the captain; "all I say is, CARRY ON!" and scarcely had the words left his lips, when away with a crash went the foretop mast close by the cap, accompanied by the main-top, gallant-mast, and gib-boom.

By heaven!" exclaimed the captain, jumping off the gun carriage on which he had been standing, as soon as he saw what had happened.

"By heaven, indeed!" echoed the first lieutenant; "this comes of wetting the midshipmen!"

"Very well, sir," replied the captain, confronting the lieutenant with one of his withering grins; "and if I please to wet the midshipmen, who has a right to interfere? Clear away the wreck, sir,-clear away the wreck!"

2 11