ve, likes him not a little in return, so he'll be
very sorry to get out of sight of her smiles; at least, I know that I
should be loath to be beyond hailing distance if I were in his place.
Let me give you a piece of advice, Duff; don't go and fall in love. It
is a very inconvenient condition for a midshipman to be in, let me tell
you."

"Not if I can help it," said Duff. "At least, till I am a lieutenant.
However, I felt rather queer about the region of the brisket the other
night, when I was dancing with that pretty little Maltese girl, with the
black eyes, and cherry lips, though we neither of us could understand a
word the other said, and I didn't know what was to come of it.
Fortunately, next morning, the sensation had gone off again, and I got
out of the scrape. But the fact is, since I grew up (the rogue was
scarcely fifteen), I have been so little on shore, that I have had no
time to lose my heart."

Jack Raby, who was a year older, and therefore considered himself a man
at all events, burst into a loud fit of laughter, in which his companion
joined him, at the absurdity of their conversation; of which, although
they had spoken in earnest, they were both somewhat conscious. "But I
say, old fellow, without any more humbug about love and such like bosh,
just look at the dear old craft! how beautifully she sits on the water--
what a graceful sheer she has--and how well her sixteen guns look run
out, like dogs from their kennels, all ready to bite. You should see
her under weigh though, and how beautiful she looks with her canvas
spread! You'd know her for a man-of-war twenty miles off by the cut of
her royals. See, what square yards she's got! and how well her masts
stand. How light she looks aloft--and yet everything that is required--
not a block too large--and yet everything works as easy as possible. On
deck, too, you'll find there's no jim-crack nonsense about her--
everything is for service, and intended to last; and yet, where there is
any brass or varnished wood, it's kept as bright and clean as can be.
There isn't a ship on the station can come up to us in reefing or
furling; and, let them say what they like in other ships, there isn't a
happier berth, or a better set of fellows to be found, on board any of
them--take my word for it, Duff."

"Well, from all you say, I haven't a doubt but that I shall like the
little _Ione_ very much," observed the other. "And, at all events, I
wouldn't mind a