Jack followed to the window, to see that it was a glorious night, with the sky and sea spangled with gold, while out where he knew the yacht lay, there shone forth with dazzling brilliancy what seemed to be a silver star, and dotted about it, evidently in the rigging of the yacht, were about thirty lanterns of various colours, but only seeming to be like the modest beams of moons in attendance upon the pure white dazzling silver star. The boy gazed in silence, impressed by the beauty of the scene, as the captain now quietly opened the window to admit the soft warm air from off the sea, while faintly heard came the sound of music from some passing boat. "How beautiful!" said Sir John, who had come unheard behind them. "Yes, sir," said the captain quietly, "with the simple beauty of home; but you will have to see the grand sunrises and sunsets of tropic lands to fully understand the full beauty of God's ever-changing ocean. But even now, Mr Meadows, I think you can hardly say you don't like the sea." Jack made no reply, but drew a deep breath which sounded like a sigh. "Well, Jack," said Sir John, when they were about to retire that night, "what do you think of Captain Bradleigh?" "I liked him better this evening, father," said the boy thoughtfully. "He did not treat me as if I were a child, and he left off calling me `young gentleman.'" "Good-night, Meadows," said the doctor, a short time after; "I wish you weren't going to spend so much money, but Jack has had his first dose of medicine." "Yes," said Sir John; "and it has begun to act." CHAPTER EIGHT. NED FEELS THE MOTION OF THE VESSEL. All aboard after the preliminaries had been arranged in the most satisfactory way, Sir John's arrangements made, and Jack, like a dejected prisoner, taken down to Dartmouth one day, following Edward, who had gone on in advance with the last of the luggage. He was waiting in the station when the train came in, looking as eager and excited as a boy, and as full of delight as his young master was depressed. Captain Bradleigh was there too, and one of the yacht's cutters hanging on at the pier, ready for rowing the party on board the _Silver Star_. "The luggage, Edward?" said Sir John. "All aboard, Sir John, and things ready in the cabins," said the man. "Then see that our portmanteaus are placed in the boat." "All in, Sir John. I set the porters to get 'em from the van." "Come along then, Jack, let's take our plunge." Jack gave a wild look round, his eyes full of despair, but he said nothing, only felt that he was bidding good-bye to home, land, ease, and comfort for ever, and followed his father to the boat.