"Yes: but if his brother dies--and he is a very infirm man--the captain will then be Viscount de Versely, and inherit very large estates, and then he will marry to have an heir to the title and estates even if there is no love in the case." "So he may," replied Cross--"there's no saying; but still, even if he does, it ain't certain that he has a family; chickens must not be counted before they are hatched. All you have to pray for then is, that the brother may prove as tough as our old admirals, whose senses get tired of staying any longer in their bodies, and leave them long before their hulks are worn out." "Why do admirals live so long?" "Well, I suppose it is for the same reason that salt meat keeps so much longer than fresh; they have been forty or fifty years with the salt spray washing in their faces and wetting their jackets, and so in time, d'ye see, they become as it were pickled with brine. Talking about that, how long will it be before you get that tanning off you?" "I don't know; but as the captain says I'm to do no duty while it lasts, I hope it won't wear off too soon." "Spoken like a midshipman: now take my advice, although not ordered to your duty, come up on deck and take your spy-glass." "I've lost it, unfortunately. That was a good glass, for it saved my life." "Yes, it turned out as good for you as a Freemason's sign, which is more than Mr Green can say. I don't think he'll ever make a sailor--he'd better bear up for clerk, and then he might do very well for a purser by-and-by. There's eight bells, Master Keene, so I think we had better say good night." CHAPTER TWENTY. The Arrow schooner had suffered very severely in the contest, having lost her commanding officer and thirteen men killed and wounded: indeed, had not the Calliope been at hand, it was the general opinion that the Stella would have overpowered her, notwithstanding that the latter had lost her mainmast, for the Arrow was completely dismantled, and would not have been able to have made sail. The Calliope sent her carpenters and best seamen on board to repair her damages, and the next day we stood away for Port Royal, Jamaica, to announce the destruction of the pirate vessel. In the morning Captain Delmar sent for me. "Mr Keene, as you cannot do duty for the present, and as I do not wish you to be idle, I think you had better pay a little attention to navigation. You send in your day's work, I perceive, but I suppose you have never regularly gone through a course of study." "No, sir," replied I; "I fudge my day's work, and I should be very glad to learn navigation properly." "So I presume. Well, then, I have spoken with Mr Smith, the master, who has promised me to give you the necessary instruction. You will commence to-morrow; you can sit at the table in the fore-cabin, where you will have nothing to distract your attention. You may go now."