"A French frigate! a French frigate! O dear! O dear!" cried two or three ladies at a breath.
"Mr Mathews," said Captain Drawlock, "I am really surprised at your indiscretion. You have alarmed the ladies. A suspicious sail, Mrs Ferguson, merely implies—in fact, that they do not know what she is."
"Is that all it means?" replied Mrs Ferguson, with an incredulous look.
"Nothing more, madam; nothing more, I assure you."
"Commodore has made signal that the strange vessel is a man-of-war bearing down," said the second mate, again entering the cabin.
"Very well, Mr Jones," said Captain Drawlock, with assumed indifference, but at the same time fidgeting on his chair.
The first mate and Newton immediately quitted the cabin.
"Miss Tavistock, will you take a little of this pudding?"
"If you please, sir, a very little."
"A man-of-war! I'll go and have a look at her," said the colonel, who rose up, bowed to the ladies, and left the cuddy.