astle and, finding my fellow-
survivors there, told them all that had passed in the cabin, at which
they expressed the utmost indignation; Dumaresq being as loud as the
loudest of my companions in his denunciation of Renouf's conduct. I let
them finish their growl, and then said:

"Well, lads, I have told you exactly what this fellow Renouf said, and
how he acted. It is now for you to act, each according to what seems
best to him; for although I have been ordered to persuade you to follow
my example, I shall do nothing of the sort. Each man must act according
to his own judgment, just as I did. It did not suit me to submit to the
indignity of being flogged, and I therefore accepted the only
alternative that was left to me, namely, to consent to serve aboard this
ship. But I did so with several mental reservations, the nature of
which I will communicate to you at some more convenient time."

As I said this, my gaze involuntarily turned in Dumaresq's direction.
The poor fellow flushed up painfully and said:

"I hope, my dear Bowen, you have no suspicion that I will betray to this
rascal--whom I blush to acknowledge as a fellow-countrymen--anything
that you may choose to say in my presence. Believe me, I fully
appreciate all the difficulties of your position, and can well
understand that you have felt yourself compelled to yield to
circumstances which you found it impossible to control. But give me
credit for believing that your surrender was not the base, unconditional
surrender of a coward who preferred to turn traitor to his country
rather than submit to a flogging. If I have read your character
aright--and God knows I have been associated with you under
circumstances that ought to have given me some insight into it--you have
yielded to this man Renouf for some ulterior purpose of your own, which
you intend to communicate to your comrades at the first fitting
opportunity. Now, so far as I am concerned, I have not the same reasons
that you have for objecting to take service in this ship, and I shall
therefore volunteer. But I want you to understand that the accident of
our happening to belong to two nations, at present unhappily at war with
each other, is wholly insufficient to lessen in the slightest degree the
personal friendship I entertain for you and these good fellows here,
your fellow-countrymen. I am your and their friend now and for ever;
and I want to make it plain to you that, short of absolute tr