ck and his officers had also arranged to give a ball on board, and
invitations had been sent out through Madame Paskiewich to all her
acquaintances. The ship for the purpose had been housed in, and by an
extensive use of bunting the deck had been converted into a perfect
ballroom, while a handsome supper was laid out in Jack's cabin and the
gun-room. The ship's boats, aided by a few from the shore, were
employed in bringing off the guests; and as they danced away merrily to
the music of the ship's band, few recollected that a few months before
the big guns on that deck had been busily engaged in firing on their
countrymen. It was one proof of many how slight an interest the nation
at large had felt in the war, which they had looked upon as an imperial
affair, with which they themselves had nothing to do beyond sending, as
in duty bound, their quota of friends and relatives to be slaughtered.
Altogether, the ball was pronounced a success, and the officers and
their guests parted mutually satisfied with each other.

Feodorowna, who suspected that Jack had been the cause of Tom's being
spirited away, could not help at first exhibiting her displeasure, but
by degrees he calmed her anger, assuring her that Tom would have proved
a very unsatisfactory husband, as he was much too young for her, and
would in a few months have got heartily sick of an idle life on shore,
and have either taken to drinking, or run away; and that she would do
much more wisely to choose an older partner for life; on which she
naively inquired whether his second lieutenant was disengaged.

Jack assured her that he was wedded to the muses, and that he doubted
much whether even for her sake he would be induced to break off his
engagement, but that he would ask him. On Mildmay's begging to be
excused, she begged Jack to select one of the officers; but he told her
that notwithstanding his wish to oblige her, such not being the duty of
a captain of a man-of-war, he must decline interfering in the matter.
The result was, that, having bade Higson and his bride farewell, and
wished them every happiness, Jack ordered the fires to be got up, and
steamed away down the river.

Greatly to his satisfaction, on his return to Constantinople, he was
ordered off to Malta, where he found Julia Giffard and her father. Jack
thought Julia looking as blooming as ever; she acknowledged that the
voyage had done her so much good that she thought she should be ready to
go