many occasions, and I hope that some day we may see him leading England's fleets to victory." "What's that you are saying about me?" exclaimed Lord Reginald, from the other end of the table, for during the sudden silence of those around him he had caught the last words uttered by his messmate. "Mr Voules is only speaking of you as you deserve, my dear Reginald," said the marchioness. "He has been giving us an account of the battle and the gallant way in which you behaved." "We all behaved gallantly, or we should not have thrashed the enemy," said Reginald, laughing. "I hope Mr Voules has given you a clearer account than Reginald has himself, for, except that the two ships spent the morning in pounding away at each other, and that at length the Frenchman, being tired of the amusement, and having lost his foremast, hauled down his colours, I have heard no details of the action," said the marquis. "Then his modesty prevented him relating how he lashed the bowsprit to the rigging and saved the captain's life," observed the marchioness. "I lash the bowsprit to the rigging? Why, the men did that, and very imperfectly they performed the work, or our antagonist would not have got clear again; and as to saving the captain's life, I know only that I took up a musket and brought down a Frenchman, or he would have knocked over the captain or me, or somebody else." "Whose account is to be relied on?" asked the marquis, looking somewhat puzzled. "I do not wish to gainsay my noble messmate, but your lordship must make allowance for his modesty, and give me credit for stating facts as they occurred," answered Voules. "I see how it is," observed the marquis, glancing approvingly at his son. "Merit is always modest, which may account, Mr Voules, for your not having described your own gallant deeds," said the marchioness, looking hard at him. Being a clear-sighted woman, she may have suspected why the smooth-tongued young gentleman had praised his noble messmate. "But how did the _Wolf_ and her prize manage to escape from the enemy?" asked Lady Julia. "Pray go on and tell us, Mr Voules."