ime gone out of
fashion. Dreading the Admiral's quizzing glances, he took the
opportunity of his absence to exhibit himself, again putting on plain
clothes before his return, and only at his mother's request did he
venture to resume his uniform at dinner, not again for many a day to
appear in mufti.

Admiral Triton insisted on accompanying Jack and Tom to Portsmouth,
where he was always glad of an excuse for going. It was a consolation
to Lady Rogers to see Tom go off under Jack's wing, as she knew that, as
far as one human being can take care of another, Jack would watch over
Tom. Jack left Halliburton without having, by word or look, confessed
an attachment, even if he felt it, for Julia Giffard, or for any other
young lady among his sisters' dear friends. He and Tom were much
missed, and certainly Julia Giffard, who came to stay there, took
considerable interest in listening to his sisters' accounts of Jack's
numerous exploits--so at least these young ladies fancied.

CHAPTER TWO.

ADMIRAL TRITON AT PORTSMOUTH--THE THREE OLD MESSMATES MEET EACH OTHER,
AND THEIR THREE YOUNG RELATIVES BECOME ACQUAINTED--THE DINNER AT THE
"GEORGE" WITH ADMIRAL TRITON--ANECDOTES--AN ECCENTRIC COMMANDER--THE
FRIGATE AND CORVETTE SAIL FOR THE WEST INDIES--A PHILOSOPHICAL
BOATSWAIN--JOLLY TIME WITH FINE WEATHER--A HEAVY GALE--TIMES CHANGE--
MARINES AND MIDSHIPMEN ON THEIR BEAM ENDS--MEN LOST--THE MIDSHIPMEN
REGAIN THEIR APPETITES.

The Admiral and his two young friends were soon at Portsmouth. The
former took up his quarters at the "George," while Jack, who had
remained at home to the last day allowable, accompanied by Tom, at once
went on board the _Plantagenet_, lying alongside a hulk off the
dockyard. He was warmly welcomed by Captain Hemming, and, much to his
satisfaction, he found that the newly appointed first-lieutenant of the
frigate was his old acquaintance Nat Cherry, lately second of the
_Dugong_ in the China Seas, from whence he had only just arrived. "The
authorities give us but little time to enjoy the comforts and quiet of
home," he observed, "but it's flattering to one's vanity to discover
that one's services are considered of value; and so when Hemming applied
for me I could not decline, on the plea that my health required
recruiting after the hard work I went through in China, although my
friends declare that I have become as thin as a lath, and have no more
colour than a piece of brown leather. I cannot s