I once more wished them a good voyage. Lanyard was by this seated in the boat, and stepping to the gangway, I turned in act to descend the ship's side, with a hold of the manrope in one hand. I found the whole group had followed me, and stood round in a semicircle; even my glorious little fellow was there, sound asleep in his mother's arms; and as the lantern cast its dim light on their mild countenances, and lit up their figures, and the clear pale moon shed a flood of silver light over all, I descended into the boat, and standing up in the stern sheets, again wished them a prosperous voyage. We now shoved off, as for myself, with a softened heart, and fitter to have died, I hope, than I was when the sun set. Presently the lights on board were extinguished, and I could no longer see the figures of my friends; but still the low murmur of their voices was borne towards me on the gentle breeze, until a loud "yo, heave oh," echoed amongst the sails, and drowned them; while a rattling and cheeping of the gear, and the hollow thumping of the men's feet on the deck, and the groaning of the mainyard against the mast, as it was being braced round, indicated that the tall ship had once more bore up on her moonlight course. * * * * * I was once more on board of the Midge. "Ha, ha, Master Benjamin Brail, who would have thought there was so much sentimentality in your composition," said I to myself; that is, said _every-day Benjie_ to the ethereal, weeping and wailing, and very nonsensical Benjamin as aforesaid. "My eye, had old Bloody Politeful seen me doing the agreeable and pathetic, amongst a covey of male and female methodist clergymen and clergywomen; but _n'importe_, Dick is a quiet going fellow and won't peach, so keep your own counsel, my lad." "I say, steward,"--quoth Lanyard, this was Lennox's first night of holding office,--the other functionary _pro tem._ having subsided into his real character of landsman--"light the lamp in the cabin, do you hear? and bring me a glass of grog. Where is Mr Donovan?" "Below, and asleep in bed, sir." "Very well. Mr Marline, make sail, and run down to the commodore, and keep close in his wake, if you please." "Ay, ay, sir." We descended. "Fetch the salt beef also, Lennox." It was done. Were I a king, and fool enough to patronise suppers on _shore_--at sea, it is altogether "_une autre chose_"--my sole food at that meal would be a piece of capital virgin mess beef, that had been boiled the day before, but never a knife stuck into it until served up, with a coarse, crisp, brown biscuit, and a glass of cold grog after it--ay, you may turn up your nose at this, my fine fellow, but better men than you have agreed with me. "That is very well mixed, steward, very cool," said I swigging off horn No. I. "By the way, Lennox, have you got the new philtre, the Barbadoes dripstone, at work?" "Yes, sir."