ow did you find the water?"

"Grand, sir," I replied; "just the right temperature to put new life
into one. Another week, at this rate, ought to see me as well as ever I
was."

"Well, your present appearance is scarcely that of an invalid, I must
confess," he remarked laughingly. "If you were called upon to submit to
a medical examination, I fancy the verdict would be that there is not
very much the matter with you. And I am very glad that it is so; for I
have just received a letter from my friend Vavassour, in which he
informs me that he has been posted to the new frigate _Europa_, launched
last week at Portsmouth and now fitting-out; that he has entered your
name on her books; and that, if you feel sufficiently recovered to
resume duty, he would very strongly advise you to proceed to Portsmouth
at once and assist in the operation of fitting-out, as he is of opinion
that by doing so you will gain a considerable amount of knowledge that
will be of the utmost value to you when you come to sit for your
examination. Now, what is your opinion? Do you think you are
sufficiently recovered to do as Vavassour suggests; or should I write
and ask him to--"

"By no means, my dear father," I interrupted hastily. "I am quite well,
and perfectly fit for duty in every respect; indeed, I feel sure that,
having advanced so far along the road to recovery, a return to a life of
greater activity than that which I have been living of late will be
positively beneficial to me. Of course I shall be very sorry to leave
you again to a life of solitude."

"Do not think of that, Dick," interrupted my father in his turn. "I
assure you that my life here is not nearly so lonely as you seem to
imagine. True, there are not many neighbours, but what there are, are
eminently satisfactory; also I have my horses, my dogs, my gun, and my
rod for outdoor companions, and books to exorcise the loneliness of my
evenings; so that you see I am not at all badly off. No doubt I shall
miss you after you are gone, my son; but this is not the time to study
one's own feelings. Britain just now needs every one of her sons who
can strike a blow in her defence; and when I look at your empty chair I
shall at least have the pride and satisfaction of knowing that, wherever
you may be, you are upholding the honour of your country and your name.
Well, well," he sighed, "let us get indoors and to breakfast. There is
a letter also for you from Vavassour, and you