“I hope not,” said O’Hara, laughing. “But I heard that the principal and the faculty were getting up a new way to fill the offices on board of the vessels of the squadron; and some of us may slip up when it is applied.” “It’s all very democratic,” added Lord Fillgrove. The coming of the pilot put an end to the conversation, though the two young “sprigs of nobility” made themselves as agreeable as possible to the ladies, whom they escorted to the hurricane-deck so as to afford them an opportunity to observe the scenery of “Southampton Water” and “The Solent,” as the steamer went to sea. The anchor had been heaved up to a short stay; and, as soon as the pilot was on the deck, the order was given to man the capstan again. The young tars were wide awake, and the pilot said he had never seen a steamer better handled than the Ville d’Angers was on this occasion. In a couple of hours the steamer was off the Needles, and the pilot was discharged. Capt. O’Hara was his own navigator, though Tom Speers and first officer Lawring also worked up the problems, and drew off the courses from the chart, to verify the captain’s work. The first course was from the Needles, the point of “departure,” to Ushant. The weather was delightful, and all on board were happy except the two malecontents in their state-rooms. The extra engineers were intelligent and agreeable men, and the firemen were a great improvement upon the French and Italian ones. Gregory and Clinch had several times been offered the liberty of the deck, under the charge of the boatswain; and the offer had been declined. But the captain and the instructor did not consider it prudent to allow them to hold any communication with the officers and seamen of the vessel, for Gregory was still in a mood to foment a mutiny. The steward who carried their meals to the prisoners gave them the current news of the day, so far as he obtained it himself; and they were tolerably well posted. After the sale of the steamer to the Prince, the aspect of the case began to change, as the mutineers viewed it. They had expected that the Ville d’Angers would be given up to the owners, and the ship’s company sent to Madeira in a passenger-steamer. That had been the talk before the mutiny. Gregory was confident that the change from the vessel to the packet would afford them an opportunity to escape from the rule of Capt. O’Hara and the instructor. The ex-first officer was the son of a rich man, an Englishman who had been naturalized in New York. He had a letter of credit for a large amount, and he was fully determined not to return to the squadron. This hope faded away when the steward told him the steamer had been purchased by the Prince, and would sail for Madeira as soon as possible. He was appalled at the idea. He was sure Mr. Fluxion would degrade him to the lowest number in the Josephine; and he was too proud and haughty to tolerate for an instant the thought of such a humiliation.