Chapters 4 and 5 Summary

Surprise returns to England and begins to resupply. Maturin and Martin visit an apothecary and resupply the ship's medicine chest. They discuss laudanum, and Maturin confesses to taking daily doses of 40 times the medicinal dose. Later, Maturin visits his friend Sir Joseph Blaine and learns that Wray and Ledward, two spies largely responsible for Aubrey's legal troubles, have escaped England and are known to be in France. Nevertheless, Surprise's recent victories have made Aubrey fantastically wealthy, and Maturin confides in Sir Joseph that Aubrey hopes his new-found wealth and fame will lead, perhaps, to reinstatement. Sir Joseph bluntly states that it will not—what Aubrey must do is engage a French national ship of superior force and claim victory. Regardless of the odds, a victory over a privateer such as Spartan will not be seen in official circles as sufficient...