ope addressed to the first
lieutenant "on service," and marked on the lower left-hand corner with
the name of the noble writer, announced that our captain would make his
appearance on the following day. We were of course prepared to receive
him in our full uniforms, with our cocked-hats and swords, with the
marine guard under arms. He came alongside at half-past twelve o'clock,
when the men were at dinner, an unusual hour to select, as it is not the
custom ever to disturb them at their meals if it can be avoided. He
appeared in a sort of undress frock-coat, fall-down-collar, anchor
buttons, no epaulettes, and a lancer's cap, with a broad gold band.

This was not correct, but as he was a lord he claimed privilege; and on
this rock of privilege we found afterwards that he always perched
himself on every occasion. We were all presented to him, and to each he
condescended to give a nod. His questions were all confined to the
first lieutenant, and all related to his own comforts. "Where is my
steward to lie--where is my valet to sleep--where is my cow-pen--and
where are my sheep to be?" We discovered, when he had been one hour in
our company, that his noble self was the god of his idolatry. As for
the details of the ship and her crew, masts, rigging, stowage,
provisions, the water she would carry, and how much she drew, they were
subjects on which he never fatigued his mind.

One hour having expired since he had come on board, he ordered his boat
and returned to the shore, and we saw no more of him, until we arrived
at Spithead, when his lordship came on board, accompanied by a person
whom we soon discovered was a half-pay purser in the navy--a man who by
dint of the grossest flattery and numerous little attentions had so
completely ingratiated himself with his patron that he had become as
necessary an appendage to the travelling equipage as the portmanteau or
the valet-de-chambre. This despicable toady was his lordship's double;
he was the living type of Gnatho of Terence; and I never saw him without
remembering the passage that ends "_Si negat, id quoque nego_." Black
was white, and white was black with toady, if his lordship pleased; he
messed in the cabin, did much mischief in the ship, and only escaped
kicking because he was too contemptible to be kicked.

My fair readers are no doubt anxious to know how I parted with Emily,
and truly I am not unwilling to oblige them, though it is, indeed, a
tender subject.