“Thank Heaven, you did not, my love,” said my mother; “what has happened can be repaired, but that could never have been got over.  And your books, what is become of them?”

“All went in the lump.  They are somewhere near the entrance of the Gut of Gibraltar—­all lost except my Bible:  I saved that, as I happened to be reading it in my berth the night before the action!”

“Excellent boy!” exclaimed my mother and aunt both together; “I am sure he speaks the truth.”

“I hope he does,” said my father, drily; “though it must be owned that these sea-fights, however glorious for Old England, are very expensive amusements to the parents of young midshipmen, unless the boys happen to be knocked on the head.”

Whether my father began to smell a rat, or whether he was afraid of putting more questions, for fear of hearing more fibs, I know not, but I was not sorry when the narrative was concluded, and I dismissed with flying colours.

To my shame be it spoken, the Bible that assisted me so much in my mother’s opinion, had never but once been opened since I had left home, and that was to examine if there were any bank-notes between the leaves, having heard of such things being done, merely to try whether young gentlemen did “search the Scriptures.”

My demands were all made good.  I believe with the greater celerity, as I began to grow very tiresome; my sea manners were not congenial to the drawing-room.  My mother, aunt, and sister, were very different from the females I had been in the habit of seeing on board the frigate.  My oaths and treatment of the servants, male and female, all conspired to reconcile the family to my departure.  They therefore heard with pleasure that my leave was expired; and, having obtained all I wanted, I did not care one pin how soon I got clear of them; so when the coach came to the door, I jumped in, drove to the Golden Cross, and the next morning rejoined my ship.

I was received with cheerfulness and cordiality by most of my shipmates, except Murphy and some of his cronies; nor did one feeling of regret or compunction enter my mind for the lies and hypocrisy with which I had deceived and cheated my parents.  The reader will probably be aware that except the circumstance of reducing the size of my chest, and the seizure and confiscation of my jars and gingerbread, there was scarcely a vestige of truth in my story.  That I had lost most of my things was most true; but they were lost by my own carelessness, and not by being thrown overboard.  After losing the key of my chest, which happened the day I joined, a rapid decrease of my stock convinced the first lieutenant that a much smaller package might be made of the remainder, and this was the sole cause of my chest being converted into a razee.