e
crushed to the earth last night, by that beast of a husband and father,
you would have felt a desire to relieve their misery, even though it had
cost you Bowldero, and half your money in the funds."

"Umph! Bowldero has been in my family five centuries, and is likely to
remain there, Master Bluewater, five more; unless, indeed, your dashing
Pretender should succeed, and take it away by confiscation."

"There, again, was another inducement. Should I leave my cash to a rich
person, and should chance put me on the wrong side in this struggle, the
king, _de facto_, would get it all; whereas, even a German would not
have the heart to rob a poor creature like Mildred of her support."

"The _Scotch_ are notorious for bowels, in such matters! Well, have it
your own way, Dick. It's of no great moment what you do with your
prize-money; though I had supposed it would fall into the hands of this
boy, Geoffrey Cleveland, who is no discredit to your blood."

"He will have a hundred thousand pounds, at five-and-twenty, that were
left him by old Lady Greenfield, his great-aunt, and that is more than
he will know what to do with. But, enough of this. Have you received
further tidings from the north, during the night?"

"Not a syllable. This is a retired part of the country, and half
Scotland might be capsized in one of its loughs, and we not know of it,
for a week, down here in Devonshire. Should I get no intelligence or
orders, in the next thirty-six hours, I think of posting up to London,
leaving you in command of the fleet."

"That may not be wise. You would scarcely confide so important a trust,
in such a crisis, to a man of my political feelings--I will not say
_opinions_; since you attribute all to sentiment."

"I would confide my life and honour to you, Richard Bluewater, with the
utmost confidence in the security of both, so long as it depended on
your own acts or inclinations. We must first see, however, what news the
Active brings us; for, if de Vervillin is really out, I shall assume
that the duty of an English sailor is to beat a Frenchman, before all
other considerations."

"If he _can_," drily observed the other, raising his right leg so high
as to place the foot on the top of an old-fashioned chair; an effort
that nearly brought his back in a horizontal line.

"I am far from regarding it as a matter of course, Admiral Bluewater;
but, it _has_ been done sufficiently often, to render it an event of no
very viole