"It surprises me, my dear boy, that you could have managed to move about with so fearful a laceration," he said; "it has been well and carefully dressed, I will allow, or you would not have been alive at this moment. Many a poor fellow has died from a less hurt than this. However, you will do well now, if you follow my directions; but you must lie by and get your mother to nurse you. Come, turn into bed at once; you are not fit to be about--you'll get well the sooner." Owen expostulated; he had been on his legs for several days, and why should he now lie by? he asked. "For the very reason that you have done more than you have strength for," answered the doctor. "But the duty of the ship must be attended to, and I am anxious to see my captain," urged Owen. "And your captain's daughter, eh, my young friend--is it not so?" said Dr Roach. "Well, I will let her know your wishes; I have been called in to attend on Captain Tracy, who requires some doctoring, though not as much as you do--and as to the ship, there are others whose duty it is to look after her; it was yours to bring her safely into port, and you did that in a very gallant way, I hear. Now, Mrs Massey, I lay my commands on your son to remain quietly in bed till I tell him to get up; if he disobeys me, we shall be having a stiff arm or something worse, so he is warned. I will come and see him regularly, and you'll give him the medicines as I direct;" and Dr Roach, kindly shaking the widow's hand, walked away towards the town, with his gold-headed cane pressed to his lips--a sure sign that he was lost in thought. Captain Tracy was, as the doctor had said, really ill; he was even worse than it was at first supposed, and required all Norah's attention. Though much wishing to see Owen and Mrs Massey, she could not venture to leave him. Gerald, however, willingly undertook to pay a visit to the mate, who not being positively prohibited from seeing visitors, Gerald was admitted. Owen more clearly understood the message which Norah had sent than Gerald did himself. Though longing to see her, he acknowledged that it was her duty to remain with her father. "However, Owen, you need not be in a hurry to get well," said Gerald, "for the _Ouzel Galley_ won't be fit for sea again for many months; she suffered so much during her last voyage, and got so knocked about by the enemy's shot, that she is to undergo a thorough repair. My father, not wishing me to be idle, talks of sending me to sea in some other craft-- if I have my choice, I would go on board a man-of-war, where I might have plenty of opportunities of fighting the enemies of our country. I don't like the idea of sailing in a ship which may be attacked and captured by any French privateer we might fall in with."