rty degrees!" cried Captain Drawlock, who was intent upon his
sextant. "Excuse me, sir, just now."

"When will you be at leisure, sir?" resumed the colonel, haughtily.

"Twenty-six minutes," continued the captain, reading off his sextant.

"A little sooner, I should hope, sir," retorted the colonel.

"Forty-five seconds."

"This is really quite insufferable! Miss Revel, we had better go in."

"Stop!" again cried Captain Drawlock, in a loud voice.

"Stop!" repeated Mrs Ferguson, angrily; "surely we are not slaves."

Newton, who heard what was passing, could not repress his laughter.

"Indeed, I am sure there must be some mistake, Mrs Ferguson," observed
Isabel. "Wait a little."

"Forty-six minutes, thirty seconds," again read off the captain.
"Capital sights both! but the sun is behind that dark cloud, and we
shall have no more of his presence."

"Nor of ours, I assure you, sir," said Mrs Ferguson, rising, as Captain
Drawlock walked from the gangway to the capstern.

"Why, my dear madam, what is the matter?"

"We have not been accustomed to such peremptory language, sir. It may
be the custom on board ship to holla `stop' to ladies when they address
you, or express a wish to leave the deck."

"My dearest madam, I do assure you, upon my honour, that you are under a
mistake. I ordered Mr Forster to stop, not you."

"Mr Forster!" replied the lady; "why, he was standing still the whole
time!"

It was not until the whole system of taking sights for chronometers had
been satisfactorily explained that the lady recovered her good-humour.
While the captain was thus employed with Mrs Ferguson, Newton, although
it was not necessary, explained the mystery to Miss Revel, who, with
Mrs Ferguson, soon after quitted the deck.

The sights taken proved the ship to be to the eastward of her reckoning.
The other ships in company had made the same discovery, and the course
was altered one quarter of a point. In two days they dropped their
anchor in Funchal Roads.

But I must for a little while recross the Bay of Biscay, and with my
reader look into the chambers of Mr John Forster.

Look
Upon this child I saved her, must not leave
Her life to chance; but point me out some nook
Of safety, where she less may shrink and grieve.
...
This child, who parentless, is therefore mine.
BYRON.

A few minutes after Newton had quitted the chambers of his uncle the
clerk made his appearance, announcing to Mr Joh