"Ha! No fear of your kicking the bucket yet, my little friend," he said in his dry way, as we all proceeded into the fore cabin, where dinner was laid, Captain Farmer leading the way as soon as his steward Peters intimated that everything was ready. "No cold or fever after your sudden chill, thanks to my prescription! But, I won't answer for consumption after your long fast. I can see from your eye, youngster, you'll have a bad attack of that presently, eh? Ho, ho, ho!" Of course I grinned at this; and, I may state at once, that, by the time the repast was concluded, I had fully justified the doctor's sapient prediction, being blessed with the healthiest of appetites and a good digestion, which my temporary indisposition had in nowise impaired. Mr Cheffinch, our gunnery lieutenant, who was one of the other guests, sat beside me, and from a remark or two he made I discovered that not only did he know of my adventure, but that the captain was also cognisant with the circumstances of the case, although the facts had not been officially communicated to him and he was not supposed to be aware of what had happened. "He thinks you behaved very pluckily, youngster," observed Mr Cheffinch in the most gracious way, when informing me of this. "Ay and so do we all in the wardroom, let me tell you!" "I'm sure I don't know what I have done to deserve your praise, sir," said I, feeling quite abashed by all these compliments. "It was all an accident." "It is not so much what you did as what you didn't do, youngster," he replied, frankly enough. "You didn't show any funk or make a fuss when you fell overboard, and you did not wish to get your messmates into a scrape when Dr Nettleby--he told us this himself in confidence--found out the state you were in and made inquiries. In so doing, you behaved like a true sailor and a gentleman, and we're all proud to have such a promising brother officer amongst us, young Vernon, I assure you. If you go on as you have begun, you'll be a credit to the service." Such a flattering eulogium made me blush like a peony, and I was very glad when the captain presently proposed the toast of "The Queen," which we drank, all standing. This being satisfactorily done, taking that hint from the doctor that I had "better turn in early and have a good night's rest after all the exertions I had gone through," as a sort of reminder that they had seen enough of me for the occasion, I paid my adieux to the captain and company and went on deck, where I remained while the watch was being called at Eight Bells. I need hardly add that, in this interval, I ruminated over the strange succession of events that had taken place within so short a period; events which, possibly, might make, as they just as probably might have marred, my entire future career in the service--ay, and, perhaps, have ended it altogether, but for God's good providence! CHAPTER TEN. "DEBTOR AND CREDITOR."