I will," replied I, "for I dislike him very much."

"No, you must not do that, but you must bend to circumstances; by-and-by
things will go on better; but mind you keep on good terms with the
officers, and never be saucy, or they may say to you what may not be
pleasant; recollect this, and things will go on better, as I said
before. If Captain Delmar protects you with his interest, you will be a
captain over the heads of many who are now your superiors on board of
this frigate. One thing be careful of, which is, to keep your own
counsel, and don't be persuaded in a moment of confidence to trust
anything to Tommy Dott, or any other midshipman; and if any one hints at
what you suppose, deny it immediately; nay, if necessary, fight for it--
that will be the way to please the captain, for you will be of his side
then, and not against him."

That this advice of Bob Cross was the best that could be given to one in
my position there could not be a doubt; and that I did resolve to follow
it, is most certain. I generally passed away a portion of my leisure
hours in Bob's company, and became warmly attached to him; and certainly
my time was not thrown away, for I learnt a great deal from him.

One evening, as I was leaning against one of the guns on the main deck,
waiting for Cross to come out of the cabin, I was amused with the
following conversation between a boatswain's mate and a fore-top man. I
shall give it verbatim. They were talking of one that was dead; and
after the boatswain's mate had said--

"Well, he's in heaven, poor fellow."

After a pause, the fore-top man said--

"I wonder, Bill, whether I shall ever go to heaven?"

"Why not?" replied the boatswain's mate.

"Why, the parson says it's good works; now, I certainly have been a
pretty many times in action, and I have killed plenty of Frenchmen in my
time."

"Well, that's sufficient, I should think; I hold my hopes upon just the
same claims. I've cut down fifty Frenchmen in my life, and if that
ain't good works, I don't know what is."

"I suppose Nelson's in heaven?"

"Of course; if so be he wishes to be there, I should like to know who
would keep him out, if he was determined on it; no, no; depend upon it
he walked _slap_ in."

On our return to Portsmouth, the captain went up to the Admiralty with
the despatches, the frigate remaining at Spithead, ready to sail at a
moment's notice.

I was now quite accustomed to the ship and officers; the conv