But no one knew of the revels held in the Petty Officers’ Mess that night to which the Sergeants of the local defence force and their ‘good ladies’ had been invited, or of how the coxswain and the T.I. danced attendance on the Master Gunner’s daughter, or how Hoskins so far forgot his dignity as to perform a step dance much to the edification of the guests and the admiration of the entire engine-room staff. These things are secret, and the veil is never lifted ... in public, for the next day work had to be carried out in the Service manner, and every one was his usual staid and former self. And that’s another of the unwritten rules that pertain to the Laws of the Navy. * * * * * And then the final spasm when two days later the escort Destroyer swung out of the harbour and ‘123’ followed her, laden with kit and belongings and spare parts, and containers, and a host of minor matters purchased for less fortunate comrades in the _Parentis_. Out through the dock entrance and past the harbour heads, and Darlton and that dockyard and the Royal Hotel were left behind, perhaps for good and ever. And the Destroyer zig-zagged and the Submarine puffed behind and was examined by trawlers and patrol-boats, and anchored for the night, and the following day arrived off the base once more and the familiar scenes of work and the old routine. As they stopped alongside the _Parentis_ in the late afternoon they were met by the ward room _en masse_ and hurried off to gin and bitters to celebrate their arrival. The parcels were distributed and blessings given and curses hurled over the contents, while Raymond and the skippers talked ‘shop’ over the alterations and work of the re-fit. But there was something missing, and it came out later after dinner when the juniors had cleared off and the seniors sat round in solemn conclave. ‘Yes,’ said Carruthers, staring into the empty grate. ‘About two weeks ago it was. Much the same show as Shelldon’s, I expect. Just went out and didn’t come back. Hard luck, but he wasn’t married. A lot of his men were, though. And old Blake was always so cheery, too.’... The ward room nodded and lapsed into silence. Somebody coughed and picked up a magazine. Then six bells struck and the _Parentis_ went to bed. ACTION I saw a Line of Battleship a-followed by a prize, ’Oose capture wur a matter easy done; The Gunners ’eld their fire till they saw each other’s eyes, And raked her fore and aft with every gun. Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been every gun as did it? I’m speaking of a ’undred year ago; An’ if we didn’t rake ’er, ’ow in ’Eavens _did_ we take ’er, For we adn’t got torpedoes down below?