"Mrs Derick was certainly a very handsome woman, and she did not want wit or sense. She was dotingly fond of her husband, though she had found out that he had a good number of faults to weigh in the scale against his good looks, which is what many a woman is apt to discover when she marries a man for his handsome face, instead of for his sense and goodness. Though the captain appeared in high spirits, and laughed and talked as gaily as need be, the crew could not get the thought of the old hag out of their heads; and when the pilot left us, he looked very grave, and said that his heart would not be light again till he saw the ship safe back in the Mersey once more. I believe that at that time one-half of the men would have left the ship if they could have done so. Indeed, some attempted to follow the pilot, but Derick rushed on deck with his pistols in his hands, and swore that he would blow out the brains of the first man who should attempt such a trick. "`You confounded idiots!' he exclaimed. `I thought I had shipped a crew of men, who would face the devil if I led them; instead of that, I've got a number of sucking babies on board. Pity I did not ship some casks of pap to feed you on! But now I've got you, I intend to keep you, and to try if I can't make men of you; so I don't mean to part company just now, and shall keep my powder dry for ready use.' "This speech had the effect of shaming the men into their duty, and for some time we heard no more of the old witch. I ought to have said that we were bound for Chili and the western coast of South America, and were to visit some of the islands in the Pacific before we returned home, so that we thus expected to be away the best part of two years. We had a fair wind after leaving the Mersey, and enjoyed a fine run clear of the Channel, and until we got into the latitude of Gibraltar, so that the men entirely recovered their spirits and good humour, and, with the carelessness of seamen, even began to laugh at their former fears. Mrs Derick took a great liking to the sea, and told her husband that she should always be ready to go with him. Poor thing! she had only yet seen the bright face of it. Those who know the ocean can say, that, like many a beautiful woman, it wears two very different aspects at different times. We all began to like the lady very much, which officers and crew do not always do the skipper's wife; but she was like a gleam of sunshine on a cloudy day, and stood between us and the somewhat dark temper which the captain now often showed. Thus things went on very well on board the _Chameleon_, and there appeared to be every prospect of a pleasant voyage.