“We are highly indebted to Miss Revel,” observed the colonel, bowing to her; “and I think we ought to drink her health in a bumper.”

Agreed to, nem. con.

Champagne, thou darling of my heart!  To stupefy oneself with other wines, is brutal; but to raise oneself to the seventh heaven with thee, is quite ethereal.  The soul appears to spurn the body, and take a transient flight without its dull associate—­the—­the—­broke down, by Jupiter!  All I meant to say was, that champagne is very pretty tipple; and so thought the dinner party, who were proportionally enlivened.

“Is this orthodox, Mr Ferguson?” inquired the colonel, holding up his glass.

“So far orthodox, that it is very good; and what is orthodox is good,” replied the divine, with good-humour.

“The Asia has made the signal for ‘a strange sail—­suspicious,’” said the second mate to Captain Drawlock, putting his head into the cabin.

“Very well, Mr Jones, keep a glass upon the commodore.”

“Mrs Ferguson, will you take some of this tart!  Damascene, I believe,” said the first mate.

“If you please, Mr Mathews.—­Did not Mr Jones say ’suspicious?’—­What does that imply?”

“Imply, madam; why, that he don’t like the cut of her jib!”

“And pray what does that mean?”

“Mean, madam:  why, that for all he knows to the contrary, she may be a French frigate.”

“A French frigate! a French frigate!  O dear!  O dear!” cried two or three ladies at a breath.

“Mr Mathews,” said Captain Drawlock, “I am really surprised at your indiscretion.  You have alarmed the ladies.  A suspicious sail, Mrs Ferguson, merely implies—­in fact, that they do not know what she is.”

“Is that all it means?” replied Mrs Ferguson, with an incredulous look.

“Nothing more, madam; nothing more, I assure you.”

“Commodore has made signal that the strange vessel is a man-of-war bearing down,” said the second mate, again entering the cabin.

“Very well, Mr Jones,” said Captain Drawlock, with assumed indifference, but at the same time fidgeting on his chair.

The first mate and Newton immediately quitted the cabin.

“Miss Tavistock, will you take a little of this pudding?”

“If you please, sir, a very little.”

“A man-of-war!  I’ll go and have a look at her,” said the colonel, who rose up, bowed to the ladies, and left the cuddy.

“Most probably one of our cruisers,” observed Captain Drawlock.

“The commodore has made the signal to prepare for action, sir,” said the second mate.

“Very well, Mr Jones,” said Captain Drawlock, who could now restrain himself no longer.  “You must excuse me, ladies, for a moment or two; but our commodore is so very prudent a man, and I am under his orders.  In a short time I hope to return to the pleasure of your society.”