At length, when all the guests had left the Pen, and Lady Agnes had retired for the night, Sir Peter invited me to accompany him to the broad gallery, covered by a veranda, which stretched right athwart the front of the house, from end to end, and directed one of his negro servants to carry out to it a small table, a box of cigars, a jug of sangaree, and two wicker basket-chairs wherein we seated ourselves preparatory, as I surmised, to a more or less confidential chat of some sort, though what, of such a nature, so important a personage as the Port Admiral could possibly have to say to an insignificant mid like myself, I could not divine. Sir Peter, however, was not the sort of man to beat about the bush; if he had anything to say he generally said it without any circumlocution, and he did so now. Selecting with care a cigar for himself, lighting it, and pouring out a couple of tumblers of sangaree, he settled himself in his chair, and began by remarking: "Well, young gentleman, so you have quite recovered from the effects of your wound, eh?--and feel fit and ready for duty once more?" "Yes, to both questions, Sir Peter," I answered. "But I think I understood you to say that the _Europa_ is not expected to return to Port Royal for at least another month--" "So I did," interrupted the Admiral; "and the question is, What are you going to do with yourself meanwhile? This is no time for an officer to idle about ashore, you know." "No, sir," I responded, "it certainly is not, and I am exceedingly glad that you have broached the subject, for it affords me an early opportunity to do what I have had it in my mind to do, namely, to ask you whether you cannot find me some better employment than kicking my heels aboard the guardship until the frigate returns." "Ah!" commented Sir Peter, "so that was what you had in your mind, was it? Have you served your time yet?" "Yes, sir," I replied, "with nearly three months to spare." "Good!" remarked my companion. "But of course you have not passed yet? You have not had an opportunity. Have you your log-books with you?" "Yes, sir," I answered. "When I was sent ashore to the hospital, Captain Vavassour was good enough to send with me all my belongings." "Where are they--the log-books, I mean--now?" demanded Sir Peter. "They are aboard the guardship, with the rest of my things," I answered. "Very well," returned my companion. "You had better go down to Port Royal with me in the morning, and bring your log-books ashore for me to look at. I have a scheme in my head for employing you, but I am not at all sure whether you are fit to undertake a duty of so exceedingly responsible a character as that which I have in my mind; although I don't hesitate to tell you, youngster, that Captain Vavassour gave you a most excellent character in every respect. What sort of a navigator are you? I suppose, like most other young gentlemen, you can fudge a day's work well enough to pass muster, eh?"