ble to trace, by this means, anything missing from my stock of
wearing apparel!

But, notwithstanding all her elaborate precautions, Dad proved a true
prophet; for, on my return home from my first commission, I do not
believe I had any two of a set out of the dozens of shirts and collars
and handkerchiefs I was originally supplied with and which she had so
neatly marked.

On the contrary, the scanty contents of my battered old donkey of a
chest, whilom gorgeously painted in blue and gold, consisted but of a
scant lot of half-worn-out items of clothing, not one of which matched
the other, and the owners whereof, judging by the different inscribed
initials thereon were as various as their respective conditions of wear!

On the same evening my things came from the outfitter's, and even while
my poor mother was engaged on the fruitless task she had imposed on
herself of ensuring my continual possession, as she vainly thought of
the same, I stole, away from the dinner-table and retired for a brief
space to the little bedroom I still occupied at the top of the hotel,
with the way to and from which I was now better acquainted than on the
morning after I first slept "under the tiles."

"Ain't we grand!" sang out Dad, chaffingly, when I presently reappeared
below in all the glory of my new uniform as a naval cadet.

This was the same then as now:--blue trousers and jacket with crown and
anchor buttons and a cunningly-shaped little collar, that had a white
facing to the lapel and the buttonholes of the turn-back worked with
twisted cord of the same colour in proper regulation fashion; not to
speak of my cap with its golden badge, and the formidable-looking
carving-knife of a dirk, twenty inches long in its black scabbard, which
I wore at my belt!

"Why, Master Jack, you'll be `topping the officer' over me now in your
war paint," added Dad, after turning me round twice to inspect me. "You
are rigged out smart, and no mistake!"

"Don't tease the poor boy, my dear," said my mother, looking at me with
fond admiration as most mothers would do, probably, under similar
circumstances. "He looks very nice--very nice, indeed. I'm sure he is
the very image of what you were when I first saw you, Frank!"

"Thanks, my dear, for the compliment," replied Dad, bowing to her
half-jocularly, half-seriously, while he heaved a deep sigh. "I'm not
making fun of Jack at all. I really was thinking how long ago it is
since I donned the same