“You forget your breakfast,” said my sister.

“I’ll thank you for another muffin, and another cup of coffee,” said I.

“Poor fellow!” said my mother, “what he must have suffered!”

“Oh!  I have not told you half yet, my dear mother; I only wonder I am alive.”

“Alive, indeed!” said my Aunt Julia; “here, my dear, here is a small trifle to help you to replenish the stock you have lost in the service of your country.  Noble little fellow! what should we do without sailors?”

I pocketed the little donation—­it was a ten-pounder; finished my breakfast, by adding a slice of ham and half a French roll to the articles already shipped, and then continued my story.  “The first thing Mr Handstone said, was, that my chest was too big; and the next thing he said, was, ’tell the carpenter I want him.  Here, Mr Adze, take this chest; reduce it one foot in length, and one in height.’  ‘Ay, ay, sir,’ said Adze; ’come, young gentleman, move off, and give me your key.’  Sick as I was, I knew remonstrance or prayer were alike useless, so I crawled off and presented my key to the carpenter, who very deliberately unlocked, and as expeditiously unloaded all my treasure.  The midshipmen all gathered round.  The jars of preserves and the cakes of gingerbread which you, my dearest mother, had so nicely packed up for me, were seized with greediness, and devoured before my face.  One of them thrust his filthy paw into a pot of black currant jelly, which you gave me for a sore throat, and held a handful of it to my mouth, knowing at the same time that I was ready to be sea-sick in his hand.”

“I shall never bear the sight of jelly again,” said my sister.

“The nasty brutes!” said my aunt.

“Well,” I resumed, “all my nice things went; and, sick as I was, I wished them gone; but when they laughed and spoke disrespectfully of you, my dear mother, I was ready to fly up and tear their eyes out.”

“Never mind, my dear boy,” said my mother, “we will make all right again.”

“So I suppose we must,” said my father; “but no more jelly and ginger-bread, if you please, my dear.  Proceed with your story, Frank.”

“Well, sir, in half-an-hour my chest was ready for me again; but while they were about it, they might have taken off another foot, for I found ample space to stow what the plunderers had left.  The preserve jars, being all empty, were given of course to the marines; and some other heavy articles being handed away, I was no longer puzzled how to stow them.  After this, you know, sir, we had the action, and then chest and bedding and all went to the ——.”

“Do they throw all the chests and bedding overboard on these occasions?” said my father, with a cool and steady gaze in my face, which I had some trouble in facing back again.

“Yes; always everything that is in the way, and my chest was in the way, and away it went.  You know, sir, I could not knock down the first lieutenant:  they would have hanged me at the yard-arm.”