ested his uncle
not to imagine him wearing an additional epaulette; and he corrected the
infallible gentleman's error (which had of course been reported to
him when he was dreaming of Renee, by Mrs. Culling) concerning a
lieutenant's shoulder decorations, most gravely; informing him of the
anchor on the lieutenant's pair of epaulettes, and the anchor and star
on a commander's, and the crown on a captain's, with a well-feigned
solicitousness to save his uncle from blundering further. This was done
in the dry neat manner which Mr. Romfrey could feel to be his own turned
on him.

He began to conceive a vague respect for the fellow who had proved him
wrong upon a matter of fact. Beauchamp came from Africa rather worn
by the climate, and immediately obtained the command of the Ariadne
corvette, which had been some time in commission in the Mediterranean,
whither he departed, without visiting Steynham; allowing Rosamund
to think him tenacious of his wrath as well as of love. Mr. Romfrey
considered him to be insatiable for service. Beauchamp, during his
absence, had shown himself awake to the affairs of his country once
only, in an urgent supplication he had forwarded for all his uncle's
influence to be used to get him appointed to the first vacancy in Robert
Hall's naval brigade, then forming a part of our handful in insurgent
India. The fate of that chivalrous Englishman, that born sailor-warrior,
that truest of heroes, imperishable in the memory of those who knew him,
and in our annals, young though he was when death took him, had wrung
from Nevil Beauchamp such a letter of tears as to make Mr. Romfrey
believe the naval crown of glory his highest ambition. Who on earth
could have guessed him to be bothering his head about politics all the
while! Or was the whole stupid business a freak of the moment?

It became necessary for Mr. Romfrey to contemplate his eccentric nephew
in the light of a mannikin once more. Consequently he called to mind,
and bade Rosamund Culling remember, that he had foreseen and had
predicted the mounting of Nevil Beauchamp on his political horse one day
or another; and perhaps the earlier the better. And a donkey could
have sworn that when he did mount he would come galloping in among the
Radical rough-riders. Letters were pouring upon Steynham from men and
women of Romfrey blood and relationship concerning the positive tone
of Radicalism in the commander's address. Everard laughed at them. As a
pra