jects of
general interest, and they had more questions asked than they could well
answer. Voules had the honour of sitting near Lady Elverston. Lord
Reginald was at the other end of the table, where his father had placed
him, anxious to hear from his own lips an account of what had occurred.
Just then, however, being very hungry, the young lord was more
interested in discussing the viands placed before him than in narrating
the particulars of the engagement. Voules had therefore the field to
himself, and although quite as hungry as his brother midshipman, he
restrained his appetite, for the sake of giving full play to his tongue.

"I can assure your ladyship that we have had as fine an action as any
which has been fought during the war, and though his modesty might
induce him to disclaim any peculiar merit, Lord Reginald played no
unimportant part in it," began Toady Voules, bowing to the marchioness,
and then giving a quick glance towards the other end of the table to
ascertain whether his messmate was listening. Finding that he was fully
engaged with the viands before him, he went on. "We were about thirty
leagues from the coast of Spain, in the latitude of Cadiz, when early
one morning, we discovered a sail to the south-west, we having the wind
at the time from the north-east. As you may suppose, we immediately
bore up in chase, for we had every hope that the stranger would prove an
enemy. It was some time, however, before we could settle the point, as
the wind was light and we made but little way. At length, to our great
joy, we were almost sure that she was a French frigate by the cut of her
canvas and the appearance of her hull; at last, when she hoisted her
colours and fired a gun to windward, we had no doubt about the matter.
She was hove to, with her mizzen-topsail aback and the main-topsail
shivering, waiting for us. This showed that her captain was a brave
fellow, and would give us some trouble before we were likely to make him
strike.

"We were all in high spirits, and I never saw Lord Reginald look cooler
or more at his ease than he then did. Our captain, to prevent the
French frigate from escaping, made up his mind to engage her to leeward.
Our men were at their quarters, with matches in their hands, ready to
fire. The word, however, was passed along the decks that not a gun
should be discharged until the captain should give the signal, though
the enemy had begun to blaze away, and his shot was