so
near her that, with the advantage of a good run, an active man might
have leaped from one vessel to the other.

As we ranged up alongside, a most aristocratic-looking man stepped to
leeward, and, grasping lightly with one hand the aftermost shroud, while
with the other he slightly lifted his straw hat in salute, he inquired:

"What cutter is that?"

"The _Water Lily_, Royal--Yacht Club," replied I. "What cutter is
that?"

"The _Emerald_, Royal Victoria," answered our new acquaintance. "You
have a singularly fast vessel under you," continued he; "I believe I may
say she is the first that ever passed me in such weather as this. I
have hitherto thought that, in light winds, the _Emerald_ has not her
match afloat; yet you are stealing through my lee as if we were at
anchor. I presume, by the course you are steering, that you are, like
ourselves, bound to Weymouth. If so, I should like to step on board you
when we arrive, if you will allow me. I am curious to see a little more
of the craft that is able to slip away from us as you are doing, in our
own weather. I am Lord --," he explained, thinking, I suppose, that we
should like to know who it was who thus invited himself on board a
perfect stranger.

I shouted back (for we were by this time some distance ahead of the
_Emerald_) that I should be happy to see his lordship on board whenever
he pleased to come; and then the conversation ceased, the distance
between the two vessels having become too great to permit of its being
continued with comfort.

It was now Bob's watch below; but the night was so very close that he
had brought his bed on deck, and was preparing to "turn in" on the
weather-side of the companion for his four hours' sleep. As he arranged
the bedding to his satisfaction, he cast his eyes frequently astern to
the _Emerald_, whose sails gleamed ghostly in the feeble light of the
moon, which, in her third quarter, was just rising.

"By George, Harry," exclaimed he, "if they _Emeralds_ bain't shifting
topsails, I'm a miserable sinner! Ay, there goes his `ballooner' aloft.
His lordship don't like the looks of our tail, seemin'ly; but I doubt
whether, in this light breeze, his big topsail will enable him to catch
us. My eyes! how we _did_ slip through his lee, sure enough! Tell ye
what, Harry, lad; that topsail of our'n is a good un--a _rare_ good un
for a reach, and in a moderate breeze; but we ought to have a
`ballooner' for running off the