"The younger of the lieutenants took off his cap most politely, eyeing the fair passengers with as much respect as he gave cool indifference to the cadets; the other, who was a careful-like working first-luff, said directly to Mr Finch, 'Well, sir, you seem inclined to lead us a bit of a chase; but I don't think,' added he, smiling from the Indiaman to the brig, 'you'd have cost us much trouble after all!' Here Finch hurried out his explanation, in a half-sulky way, when the naval man cut him short by saying that 'Captain Wallis desired to know' if we had touched at St Helena. 'May I ask, sir,' went on the officer, finding we had preferred the Cape, 'if _you_ command this vessel--or is the master not on deck--Captain--Captain Wilson, I think you said?' The mate said something in a lower voice, and the lieutenant bared his head more respectfully than before, seeing the Company's ensign, which had been lowered half-apeak while the boat was under our side; after which Finch drew him to the capstan, telling him, as I guessed, the whole affair of the schooner, by way of a great exploit, with hints of her being a pirate or such-like. "The brig's officer, however, was evidently too busy a man, and seemingly in too great a hurry to get back, for listening much to such a rigmarole, as he no doubt thought it; they had been at the Cape, and were bound for St Helena again where she was one of the cruisers on guard; so that what with Finch's story, and what with the crowd round the second lieutenant, all anxious to get the news, I saw it wouldn't cost Westwood and me great pains to keep clear of notice.