"You certainly had a wonderful aptitude for getting out of scrapes when
you had tumbled into them. However, as it is wiser to keep clear of
them altogether, you will do well to give your nephew a lecture on the
subject, and I hope that he will benefit by it. I intend to bestow some
good advice on Tom on the subject. Many a promising lad injures his
future prospects by thoughtlessness. Though we were not always as wise
as Solomon, we were invariably sober fellows, or we should probably have
come to grief like so many others we have known."

"Faith, yes, it was that last magnum of Madeira floored the bishop and
Commander Babbicome, no doubt about it," observed Adair, with a twinkle
in his eye.

By this time they had reached the beach, when the arrieros having
claimed their horses, not forgetting a liberal payment for their use,
the party returned in shore-boats to the ships.

The next morning Commander Babbicome's anger was somewhat cooled down,
though to vindicate his outraged dignity, as he could not punish the
_Plantagenet's_ midshipmen, he stopped all leave from the _Tudor_.
Captain Hemming considering that the matter should not be altogether
overlooked, took Tom and Gerald on shore to apologise to the bishop, who
instead of being angry, laughed heartily, and gave them a basket full of
sweet cakes and fruit, for which, though it was a gentle hint that he
looked upon them as children, they were very much obliged to him, and
voted him a first-rate old fellow.

When the midshipmen of the _Tudor_ heard of it they wanted to go and
apologise also, but as none of them unfortunately had tumbled over his
lordship, they could not find a sufficient excuse for paying him a
visit, and though they sent a deputation on board the _Plantagenet_ to
put in a claim for a share, old Higson declined to entertain it.

Captain Hemming afterwards went on board the _Tudor_, and having told
Commander Babbicome of the kind way the bishop had behaved, suggested
that it was more Christian-like to forgive than revenge an insult even
if premeditated, while that of which he complained certainly was not,
and finally induced him to promise that he would say no more about the
matter.

The repairs of the _Tudor_ were nearly completed.

"A man-of-war steamer coming in from the eastward," reported the
signal-midshipman to Mr Cherry.

"She has made her number the _Pluto_," he shortly added.

The _Pluto's_ huge paddle-wheels soon brought her