ats, or of Mrs. Templemore
and her infant, had been heard; it was therefore naturally conjectured
that they had all perished, and they were remembered but as things that
had been.

CHAPTER VI

THE MIDSHIPMAN

The weather-side of the quarter-deck of H.M. frigate _Unicorn_ was
occupied by two very great personages: Captain Plumbton, commanding the
ship, who was very great in width if not in height, taking much more
than his allowance of the deck, if it were not that he was the
proprietor thereof, and entitled to the lion's share. Captain P. was not
more than four feet ten inches in height; but then he was equal to that
in girth: there was quite enough of him, if he had only been _rolled
out_. He walked with his coat flying open, his thumbs stuck into the
arm-holes of his waistcoat, so as to throw his shoulders back and
increase his horizontal dimensions. He also held his head well aft,
which threw his chest and stomach well forward. He was the prototype of
pomposity and good-nature, and he strutted like an actor in a
procession.

The other personage was the first lieutenant, whom Nature had pleased to
fashion in another mould. He was as tall as the captain was short--as
thin as his superior was corpulent. His long, lanky legs were nearly up
to the captain's shoulders; and he bowed down over the head of his
superior, as if he were the crane to hoist up, and the captain the bale
of goods to be hoisted. He carried his hands behind his back, with two
fingers twisted together; and his chief difficulty appeared to be to
reduce his own stride to the parrot march of the captain. His features
were sharp and lean as was his body, and wore every appearance of a
cross-grained temper.

He had been making divers complaints of divers persons, and the captain
had hitherto appeared imperturbable. Captain Plumbton was an
even-tempered man, who was satisfied with a good dinner. Lieutenant
Markitall was an odd-tempered man, who would quarrel with his bread and
butter.

[Illustration: _He walked with his coat flying open, his thumbs stuck
into the arm-holes of his waistcoat._]

'Quite impossible, sir,' continued the first lieutenant, 'to carry on
the duty without support.'

This oracular observation, which, from the relative forms of the two
parties, descended as it were from above, was replied to by the captain
with a 'Very true.'

'Then, sir, I presume you will not object to my putting that man in the
report for punish