fervour, that you are willing
enough to help me thresh Monsieur de Vervillin."

"Beyond a question. Nothing but the conviction that he was directly
employed in serving my natural and legitimate prince, could induce me to
show him any favour. Still, Oakes, it is possible he may have succours
for the Scotch on board, and be bound to the north by the way of the
Irish channel!"

"Ay, pretty succours, truly, for an Englishman to stomach!
_Mousquetaires_, and _regiments de Croy_, or _de Dillon_, or some d----d
French name or other; and, perhaps, beautiful muskets from the _Bois de
Vincennes_; or some other infernal nest of Gallic inventions to put down
the just ascendency of old England! No--no--Dick Bluewater, your
excellent, loyal, true-hearted English mother, never bore you to be a
dupe of Bourbon perfidy and trick. I dare say she sickened at the very
name of Louis!"

"I'll not answer for that, Sir Jarvy," returned the rear-admiral, with a
vacant smile; "for she passed some time at the court of _le Grand
Monarque_. But all this is idle; we know each other's opinions, and, by
this time, ought to know each other's characters. Have you digested any
plan for your future operations; and what part am I to play in it?"

Sir Gervaise paced the room, with hands folded behind his back, in an
air of deep contemplation, for quite five minutes, before he answered.
All this time, Bluewater remained watching his countenance and
movements, in anticipation of what was to come. At length, the
vice-admiral appeared to have made up his mind, and he delivered himself
of his decision, as follows.

"I have reflected on them, Dick," he said, "even while my thoughts have
seemed to be occupied with the concerns of others. If de Vervillin is
out, he must still be to the eastward of us; for, running as the tides
do on the French coast, he can hardly have made much westing with this
light south-west wind. We are yet uncertain of his destination, and it
is all-important that we get immediate sight of him, and keep him in
view, until he can be brought to action. Now, my plan is this. I will
send out the ships in succession, with orders to keep on an easy
bowline, until each reaches the chops of the channel, when she is to go
about and stand in towards the English coast. Each succeeding vessel,
however, will weigh as soon as her leader is hull down, and keep within
signal distance, in order to send intelligence through the whole line.
Nothing will