“From no cloud at all, my dear sir, but just from an ordinary post-chaise, in which I have come up from Portsmouth. How are you, sir? I hope you have nothing worse than the gout to complain of. Wish you were free of that, for it must be very troublesome.”
“Troublesome enough, my boy, you may take my word for that; but the present attack is luckily very trifling—a mere fleabite, in fact. And how are you? You don’t look particularly bright, rather the reverse, indeed; and what is the matter with your arm?”
Thereupon I gave him a hasty outline of my story, so far at least as the cruise in the “Vigilant” was concerned; and then old Richards, the butler, brought in the supper; serving it, by Sir Peregrine’s orders, in the library, so that we might not be disturbed or my yarn interrupted by passing from one room to another.
We sat until close upon three o’clock a.m., my uncle forgetting all about bed in his anxiety to hear full particulars of my doings since I had last parted from him. At length, however, he glanced at the clock upon the mantelpiece, and at once pulled me up short.
“There, there! that will do for to-night, my dear boy. I’ve forgotten everything in listening to you, and have allowed you to talk all this time instead of sending you straight off to your bunk, as I ought to have done, and you with a broken arm, too. But I am delighted to have heard all that you have told me—the gazette tells one nothing—and I can afford you the satisfaction of knowing that your name has attracted attention in the right quarter; Sir James has spoken to me about you on more than one occasion; and your promotion is certain. If you go on as you have begun, Ralph, I predict that you will mount the ratlines rapidly. Now, we will breakfast at ten o’clock, if that will suit you, and then I will go with you myself to the Admiralty with the despatches. My gout? Pooh! I’ll lay a crown it will be gone by the time I turn out in the morning; and if it is not, it is not bad enough to keep me at anchor here when I can perhaps do you a good turn. I’ll introduce you to Sir James; I should like him to see for himself the sort of lad you are. Now; good-night! Tim will attend to you. God bless you, my boy.”
I trundled off, Timothy leading the way with a light in each hand for the room which I had formerly occupied, and, having undressed with the assistance of my somewhat garrulous attendant, tumbled into the luxurious bed, and immediately fell into a sound sleep.
The arrangement of the previous night was duly carried out, Sir Peregrine’s gout having, as he had predicted, been merciful enough to afford him a respite.
We drove to the Admiralty, and I sent in my despatch-box. My uncle also sent in his card.
Half an hour elapsed, Sir James happening to be engaged when we arrived, and then Sir Peregrine was admitted to the august presence. Another half-hour passed, at the expiration of which time I also was invited into the sanctum. My uncle introduced me; Sir James uttered a few complimentary phrases upon my past conduct, informed me that “he had his eye upon me,” presented two fingers for me to shake, gave his entire hand to my uncle, and we were dismissed. As we passed through the outer office it was intimated to me that my presence would be required there at noon next day.
“That’s a good job well over,” ejaculated my uncle, as we once more seated ourselves in the carriage and drove off. “You are in high favour, let me tell you, my boy,” he continued. “Lord Hood has referred to you in very flattering terms in his despatches, in connexion with that hare-brained escapade of yours at Bastia; and Sir James has assured me of the very great satisfaction with which he views your conduct, and has promised moreover that he will take the earliest possible opportunity to show his appreciation of it. Now, where shall we go? I suppose you do not feel very much in cue for sight-seeing, with your wounded arm, eh? Very well; then we’ll drive to my tailor’s—you want a new gang of rigging put over your mast-head badly, my boy, and then we’ll go home and you shall rest a bit. I have a few friends coming to dinner this evening; but you need not join us if you do not feel equal to it, you know.”