had been to sea a month. There,
my boy, no objections. It's all settled for you, and we want to see you
a post-captain before we go into the locker."

"Yes, and bring in a few good Spanish prizes, sir. It'll be all right,
brother Harry. He thinks he don't like the sea, but he does. Now then,
you dog, why don't you come and shake hands?"

"Because I don't want to go, uncle."

"What, you dog! Yah! Get out. I don't believe it."

"Go and shake hands with your uncle, Syd," said the captain, sternly.

The boy walked across to where the admiral was seated on the arm of one
of the great easy-chairs, and held out his hand.

"Here, what's this?" cried the bluff, choleric old sailor. "Not a boy's
hand, is it. Feels like the tail of a codfish. Shake hands like a man,
you dog. Ah, that's better. There, cheer up; you'll soon get used to
the sea and love it. You won't be happy ashore after your first
voyage."

"Want any money, Syd?" said the captain.

"No, thankye, father," said the boy, gloomily.

"What!" roared the admiral, laboriously thrusting his hand into his
breeches pocket and dragging it out again. "Don't believe it. A boy
who don't want money is a monster, not fit to be trusted with it. Here
you are, boy. Five guineas. Don't fool it away, but buy anything with
it you like."--A strange contradiction, by the way, though the old
admiral did not notice it.--"Put it in your pocket, and--Pst! Syd," he
whispered, "whenever you want any more, write to me. Don't bother the
dad. Our secret, eh, you dog?"

"What's that?" cried the captain.

"Mind your own business, sir," cried the admiral, with mock rage.
"Private instructions to our young officer. There, be off, Syd, before
he begins to pump."

The boy gladly escaped from the library, to dash up into his own room,
and fling the money into a corner with a demonstration of rage, before
sitting down, resting his chin upon his doubled fists, and staring
straight before him.

"It's all over," he said at last. "I wanted to be a gentleman, and do
what was right; but--Yes, it's all over now."

Just at the same time Captain Belton was speaking to his brother in the
library.

"I'm sorry the boy took it like that, Tom," he said. "I don't like his
sulky manner."

"Bah! only a boy," cried the admiral. "Chuffy because he can't have his
own way. Wait till he gets his cocked hat and his dirk."

The old man chuckled and wiped his eyes.

"I haven't fo