The corvette, after she had rounded to, and exchanged colours, reduced her sails to precisely the same canvas as that carried by the Windsor Castle.  This was to try her rate of sailing.  In a quarter of an hour, her superiority was manifest.  She then hauled up her courses, and dropped to her former position on the Windsor Castle’s weather-beam.

“The fellow has the heels of us, at all events,” observed Captain Oughton; “but, Forster, the ladies are not yet below.  Mrs Enderby, I am sorry to be obliged to put you in confinement for a short time.  Miss Revel, you must do me the favour to accept of Mr Forster’s convoy below the water-line.”

Newton offered his arm to Isabel, and followed Captain Oughton, who escorted Mrs Enderby.  His heart was swelling with such variety of feeling that he could not at first trust himself to speak.  When they had descended the ladder, and were picking their way, stepping over the rammers, sponges, and tackles, stretched across the main-deck, Newton observed—­“This is not the first time I have been commissioned to place you in security.  I trust I shall again have the pleasure of relieving you from your bondage.”

Isabel’s lips quivered as she replied, “I trust in God that you may, Mr Forster!—­but—­I feel more anxious now than I did on the former occasion.  I—­”

“I have a foreboding,” interrupted Newton, “that this day’s work is to make or mar me!  Why, I cannot tell, but I feel more confident than the chances would warrant; but farewell, Isabel—­God bless you!”—­and Newton, pressing her hand, sprang up the ladder to his station on the quarter-deck.

I have before observed that a man’s courage much depends upon his worldly means or prospects.  A man who has much to lose, whatever the property may consist of, will be less inclined to fight than another whose whole capital consists of a “light heart and a thin pair of breeches.”  Upon the same reasoning, a man in love will not be inclined to fight as another.  Death then cuts off the sweetest prospects in existence.  Lord St Vincent used to say that a married man was d——­d for the service.  Now (bating the honeymoon), I do not agree with his lordship.  A man in love may be inclined to play the Mark Antony; but a married man, “come what will, he has been blessed.”  Once fairly into action, it then is of little consequence whether a man is a bachelor, or married, or in love; the all-absorbing occupation of killing your fellow-creatures makes you for the time forget whether you are a beggar or a prince.

When Newton returned on deck, he found that the corvette had gradually edged down until nearly within point-blank range.

“Shall we lay the main-topsail to the mast, sir?” observed Newton.  “We shall see his manoeuvres.”

“Why, he hardly would be fool enough to bear down to us,” replied Captain Oughton; “he is a determined fellow, I know; but I believe not a rash one.  However, we can but try.  Square the main-yard.”