.

He did turn sharply once when the doctor said suddenly: "There are the
two training ships for the naval cadets," and pointed at the old
men-of-war with their tiers of ports, moored in midstream; and was
feeling a strange sense of pity for the lads "cooped up," as he mentally
called it, in the narrow limits of a ship, when the doctor suddenly
exclaimed, "Look, look! both of you. I'll be bound to say that's our
yacht."

Jack glanced sharply at what seemed in comparison with the huge
men-of-war, and seen at a distance, a little three-masted, white-looking
vessel with a dwarfed funnel, lying at anchor, but he turned pale and
listless again, utterly wearied out with his journey, nor did he revive
over the comfortable dinner of which he partook without appetite.

Sir John looked uneasy, but the doctor gave him a meaning nod.

"You won't care about going to look over the yacht this evening, Jack?"
he said.

"I!" said the lad, almost imploringly. "No, not to-night."

"No; we're all tired," said the doctor. "I did not say anything to you,
Meadows; but I thought we had done enough, so I sent off word to the
captain to say that we had come down, and I shouldn't be surprised if he
comes over to the hotel by and by."

It fell out just as the doctor had said, for about half-an-hour later
the waiter came into the room to say that Captain Bradleigh would be
glad to see Sir John Meadows; and Jack looked up curiously as a ruddy,
tan-faced, rather fierce-looking man, with very crisp hair, beard
sprinkled with grey, and keen, piercing grey eyes, shaded by rather
shaggy brows, entered, glanced quickly round as he took off his
gold-braided yachting cap, and at once addressed Sir John, as if quite
sure that he was the principal.

"Sir John Meadows?" he said courteously, but with a ring of authority in
his words.

"Yes; will you sit down. This is my friend, Doctor Instow; my son."

The captain shook hands with the two elders, giving them a firm, manly
grip, short and sharp, as if he meant business; but his pressure of
Jack's thin, white hand was gentle, and he retained it in his strong,
firm palm as he said--

"Ah! father--doctor--you have been ill, young gentleman?"

"I? No," said Jack, with a look of resentment.

"Unwell, not bad," said the captain kindly. "Only want a sea-trip to do
you good;" and he smiled pleasantly, looking like an Englishman full of
firmness and decision, such a one as people would like to trust