Captain Drawlock walked to the break of the gangways, so far concealed from the ladies that they could not perceive that he was looking through his sextant, the use of which they did not comprehend, having never seen one before.  Newton stood at the capstern, with his eyes fixed on the watch.

“Captain Drawlock,” said Mrs Ferguson, calling to him, “allow me to observe—­”

“Stop,” cried Captain Drawlock, in a loud voice.  Newton, to whom this was addressed, noted the time.

“Good heavens! what can be the matter;” said Mrs Ferguson, with astonishment, to those near her; “how excessively rude of Captain Drawlock;—­what can it be?” continued she, addressing the colonel, who had rejoined them.

“Really, madam, I cannot tell; but it is my duty to inquire,” replied the colonel, who, going up to Captain Drawlock, commenced—­“Have the ladies already so fallen in your estimation—­”

“Forty degrees!” cried Captain Drawlock, who was intent upon his sextant.  “Excuse me, sir, just now.”

“When will you be at leisure, sir?” resumed the colonel, haughtily.

“Twenty-six minutes,” continued the captain, reading off his sextant.

“A little sooner, I should hope, sir,” retorted the colonel.

“Forty-five seconds.”

“This is really quite insufferable!  Miss Revel, we had better go in.”

“Stop!” again cried Captain Drawlock, in a loud voice.

“Stop!” repeated Mrs Ferguson, angrily; “surely we are not slaves.”

Newton, who heard what was passing, could not repress his laughter.

“Indeed, I am sure there must be some mistake, Mrs Ferguson,” observed Isabel.  “Wait a little.”

“Forty-six minutes, thirty seconds,” again read off the captain.  “Capital sights both! but the sun is behind that dark cloud, and we shall have no more of his presence.”

“Nor of ours, I assure you, sir,” said Mrs Ferguson, rising, as Captain Drawlock walked from the gangway to the capstern.

“Why, my dear madam, what is the matter?”

“We have not been accustomed to such peremptory language, sir.  It may be the custom on board ship to holla ‘stop’ to ladies when they address you, or express a wish to leave the deck.”

“My dearest madam, I do assure you, upon my honour, that you are under a mistake.  I ordered Mr Forster to stop, not you.”

“Mr Forster!” replied the lady; “why, he was standing still the whole time!”

It was not until the whole system of taking sights for chronometers had been satisfactorily explained, that the lady recovered her good-humour.  While the captain was thus employed with Mrs Ferguson, Newton, although it was not necessary, explained the mystery to Miss Revel, who, with Mrs Ferguson, soon after quitted the deck.

The sights taken proved the ship to be to the eastward of her reckoning.  The other ships in company had made the same discovery, and the course was altered one quarter of a point.  In two days they dropped their anchor in Funchal Roads.