The father of the present Lord Aveleyn had three sons, and, in conformity with the usages commented upon in the preceding chapter, the two youngest were condemned to the army and navy; the second, who had priority of choice, being dismissed to gather laurels in a red coat, while the third was recommended to do the same, if he could, in a suit of blue.  Fairly embarked in their several professions, a sum of fifty pounds per annum was placed in the hands of their respective agents, and no more was thought about a pair of “detrimentals.”

Lord Aveleyn’s father, who had married late in life, was summoned away when the eldest brother of the present Lord Aveleyn, the heir, was yet a minor, about two years after he had embarked in the ship to which Edward Forster belonged.  Now it was the will of Providence that, about six months after the old nobleman’s decease, the young lord and his second brother, who had obtained a short furlough, should most unadvisedly embark in a small sailing boat on the lake close to the mansion, and that, owing to some mismanagement of the sail, the boat upset, and they were both drowned.

As soon as the melancholy intelligence was made known to the trustees, a letter was despatched to Captain L——­, who commanded the ship in which young Aveleyn was serving his time, acquainting him with the catastrophe, and requesting the immediate discharge of the young midshipman.  The captain repaired on board; when he arrived on the quarter-deck, he desired the first lieutenant to send down for young Aveleyn.

“He is at the mast-head, sir,” replied the first lieutenant, “for neglect of duty.”

“Really, Mr W——­,” replied the captain, who had witnessed the boy’s ascent at least a hundred times before with perfect indifference, and had often sent him up himself, “you appear to be very sharp upon that poor lad; you make no allowance for youth—­boys will be boys.”

“He’s the most troublesome young monkey in the ship, sir,” replied the first lieutenant, surprised at this unusual interference.

“He has always appeared to me to be a well-disposed, intelligent lad, Mr W——­; and I wish you to understand that I do not approve of this system of eternal mast-heading.  However, he will not trouble you any more, as his discharge is to be immediately made out.  He is now,” continued the captain, pausing to give more effect to his communication, “Lord Aveleyn.”

“Whew! now the murder’s out,” mentally exclaimed the first lieutenant.

“Call him down immediately, Mr W——­, if you please—­and recollect that I disapprove of the system.”

“Certainly, sir; but really, Captain L——­, I don’t know what I shall do if you restrict my power of punishing the young gentlemen; they are so extremely unruly.  There’s Mr Malcolm,” continued the first lieutenant, pointing to a youngster who was walking on the other side of the deck, with his hands in his pockets, “it was but yesterday that he chopped off at least four inches from the tail of your dog ‘Ponto’ at the beef-block, and pretends it was an accident.”