ion of her ships-of-war; and
when in May in the following year war again broke out, and Pitt returned
to power, the whole work of getting the navy into fighting order had to
be done over again. Two days after the fleet anchored at Spithead, Edgar
was delighted to see his father on board a shore-boat that came
alongside.

"Everything has turned out well," he said as soon as the first greeting
was over. "On the very day that I got your letter, I had an intimation
that the war was likely to come to an end shortly. I thought it better,
therefore, to wait before moving in your matter until things were
definitely settled, as it was infinitely better that you should be put
on half-pay because the war had come to an end than to apply to give up
active service while the war lasted."

"Certainly, father. There can be no doubt of that."

"Of course I got the letter that you wrote when you were at Gibraltar,
saying what ship you were on, and learned from my friend Captain
Harrington of the prize court, that unless some hitch occurred in the
negotiations, the fleet there, with the troops on board, would at once
be ordered home, and on arrival would be paid off. There was, therefore,
no occasion for me to make any application in the matter. The troops
are, I see, landing to-day, and I suppose that in a week at latest the
ships will be taken to the harbour and you will all be paid off."

"Nothing could be better, father."

"At any rate, there would be no chance whatever of your obtaining
employment until the war breaks out again. When it does, my friend
Harrington says that he has no doubt that he will be able to obtain for
you an official post at Alexandria, with special instructions to aid in
the provisioning and general repairs of any ships-of-war that may put in
there, and that indeed he has no doubt that he will be able to get you
the post of vice-consul there at once, for this, as you know, is as a
rule given to merchants of standing, and as Sir Sidney Smith is in
London, he would no doubt be able to support you in the matter. Of
course there will be a consul-general in Egypt, and a vice-consul at
each of the ports. So far, no appointments of the kind have been made,
and, as he says, from your knowledge of the country, with our firm being
long established as merchants there, with your knowing so many languages
and your naval record, there can be little doubt that, if you apply, and
are backed by Sir Sidney Smith, you will g