regards this ere Brilliant,' she's as smart a little sloop as flies the pendant, but that don't matter, it's the hofficers as makes the ship, and her hofficers is a dd bad set, and didn't ought properly to be in the sarvice at all, 'cause they're duffers."

"Duffers, my good man, what do you mean?"

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Why, your honour, they got into the sarvice unregular like; their fathers was tradesmen like my poor old dad, only in a larger way, and gived receipts in full for all that was owed to 'em by hofficers with plenty of hinterest, on conditions that their sons was to be took into the sarvice and shoved ahead; then every now and agin you know, yer honour, there arrived a heavy bank-note, and that was as much as to say, another step for my boy, if you please, and whether you please or no you must do it. Then of course the hofficer didn't know where the tin comed from. Oh no, in course not."

"Then you mean to say that the Brilliant' is thus officered, do you? Really, my good man, I am much indebted to you, more in fact than I can tell you, because I wish my son to get disgusted with the service."

The tar continued: "Now old Boodle's father kept a jimcrack shop in High Street, and he's cap'en; then there's the first lieu

tenant, he's a beauty, he is his father's a tailor up in Lon'on, and a 'opeful son he's got-"

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"First lieutenant-tailor up in London," interrupted old Overdon. Surely, my good friend, his name's not-no, pooh! it can't be the fact is I thought it a strange coincidence. My son and myself were engaged in making purchases at an outfitter's, when his son burst into the shop, and behaved in such an extraordinary manner that I was under the painful necessity of warning him that there was a limit to human endurance."

"And what might the name of that outfitter be, your honour? if I might make so bold as to ax."

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Why, Schneider-but of course it cannot be, although you have certainly enlightened me strangely."

Jack once more closed his eye, turned his quid, and looked knowing.

"That's the identical-blowed if I didn't think so: ain't he a beauty for first luff, your honour? I hates that feller like the Halmighty hates sin, he broke the best warrant hofficer going, and that's my brother-in-law, for nothing, and then when he'd got 'en properly in his clutches, why he gave 'en the cat. Oh, she's

a nice hooker that, and then that young gentleman to be a going to join her; but ain't your honour got no friends to get 'en clear afore it's too late, 'cause it do seem hard to send 'en to sea in a floating hell?"

"I'm more likely to gain my own end as matters stand," said Overdon aloud, and then to himself: "Poor Harold, it does appear cruel to expose him to hard treatment, he will be astonished when he sees Mr. Schneider and finds out who he is-perhaps the poor fellow will go back with me yet;" and the fond father hoped it might be so.

CHAPTER IV.

WE have heard the sailor's opinions pretty freely expressed, but the reader must bear in mind that the old gentleman who shall be nameless is never so black as he is painted; we are tired of the road and anxious once more to find ourselves afloat.

The Brilliant' was 6 a smart little vessel enough of her class. She was brig-rigged, and carried fourteen carronades-mere popguns of course to the metal now in favour, but at the same time, although barking dogs, they did bite, and very hard too, sometimes. She mounted guard on the coast of France, and was as well known all along there as at Portsmouth. The particular duty assigned to her was exceedingly unpleasant, and would not at all have suited a first-class man. So many

leagues each way from Calais was her beat, and to it she was kept most pertinaciously: perhaps the bigwigs almost hoped that something might happen to her and all on board, and so clear them from just so many living

reproaches as there happened to be officers

on board, who get of receipted bills.

into the navy on the back But, however that might

be, on the coast of France she was constantly harassing and alarming; keeping a close watch over they hardly knew what, gleaning information they could make nothing of; ascertaining the strength of garrisons; finding out the movement of troops. Often and often she landed persons who were who were to act as spies (although that may be a strong term rather for secret emissaries), and had as often re-embarked them.

The redoubtable commander who gloried in the euphonious name of Boodle, was a short, thick-set man, with a jolly red face, looking as though he was fond of liberal potations. A man well-fitted for such work was he (and yet poor Boodle had good points in his character too), as perhaps the bigwigs at the Admiralty knew well enough, and so very properly kept him at it.

Cloudy, dark, dismal weather and channel fogs were his especial delight; for at such times with muffled oars he sneaked into harbours, boarded fishing-boats, seized their occu pants, lugged them on board the 'Brilliant,' plied them well with grog, and then caused