prepared for Pierre's reception. It was on the
ground-floor, and contained a dimity-covered bed, and a few other simple
articles of furniture, quite sufficient for all the young French
sailor's wants.

Pierre again and again thanked Bill for having brought him to so
delightful a place.

"Ah!" he said, "that lady," looking at Mrs Crofton, "reminds me of my
mother, and the little girl is just like Jeannette, when she was
younger. And they are so kind and gentle! I shall get well very soon,
though I think I should have died if I had remained at the hospital,
where I was nearly stifled, while day and night I heard the oaths and
groans of my wounded compatriots, who abuse the English as the cause of
their suffering, regardless of the care that is being taken of them."

"I was very sure you would recover sooner in a quiet house by yourself,
and therefore I begged my officer to have you removed," said Bill.

It was not for some time that Pierre remarked the new midshipman's
uniform.

"Why, you told me you were a ship's boy, now I see you dressed as an
officer!" he exclaimed, in a tone of astonishment. "The gendarmes were
right after all."

"No, they were wrong," answered Bill. "I was then what I told you, but
I am now a midshipman."

He then gave an account to Pierre of how he had been promoted. Their
conversation was interrupted by the return of Mrs Crofton and Mary with
some food for their patient, as the doctor had told Mr Saltwell that he
should be fed often, though with but little at a time. As Mrs Crofton
could speak French, she did not require Bill to interpret for her.

He was glad to find that Pierre would be able to converse with his kind
hostess Mr Saltwell, who had gone into the drawing-room, now told Bill
that he might stay with Pierre until the evening, and that he should
have leave to visit him every day while the frigate remained in harbour.

The first lieutenant now took his leave, and Mrs Crofton observing that
"Pierre would be the better for some sleep, after the excitement of
being moved," invited Bill into her sitting-room, she naturally wishing
to hear more about his adventures in France than Mr Saltwell had been
able to tell her. Bill himself was perfectly willing to talk away on
the subject as long as she wished, especially when he found so ready a
listener in Mary. He began with an account of the blowing up of the
_Foxhound_; and when he had finished, Mrs Crofton wished to know how i