“Perfectly well, sir,” I replied. “I should be quite satisfied to be served with rope of that quality.”
“Have you your order with you?” asked Captain Brisac.
“Yes, sir,” I replied; “here it is.”
“Then serve this young gentleman at once,” he said authoritatively to the storekeeper; “and be careful what you are about with that old ‘junk,’ or you will be getting yourselves into serious trouble over it.”
The storekeeper went away to get some assistance, and while he was gone, I availed myself of the opportunity to thank the skipper for the service he had just rendered me; after which he shook hands, saying he was in a great hurry: but if I could get leave that evening, he would be very happy if I would dine with him at the “George” at six, sharp. I thanked him duly for his kind invitation, but declined it, as I felt that my absence might possibly be a source of inconvenience to Mr Annesley, which I explained.
“Quite right, Mr Chester—quite right,” returned he; “never allow pleasure to interfere with duty, if you wish to make headway in your profession. I shall perhaps be seeing Captain Hood—who is your new captain, I believe—this evening, and if so, I will put a spoke in your wheel for you. Good-bye!”
I was alongside the “Juno” with my cargo, just in time to get it hoisted out before the men went to dinner. Mr Annesley met me at the gangway, as I climbed up the side, and asked me how I had got on, and what sort of stuff I had brought with me? I related my morning’s adventures, and told him how Captain Brisac had helped me out of my difficulty with the dockyard storekeepers, winding up by calling his attention to the quality of the rope, which was just then being hoisted in.
“Capital!” he exclaimed; “nothing could be better. This is by far the best we have ever had served out to us; it is of first-rate quality, as every inch of rope served out to the navy should be. One can trust to this upon a pinch, without much fear of being disappointed. I am very much obliged to you, Mr Chester, for the way in which you have executed your first duty on board here. I hope you will discharge all your duties equally well; and if you do, I feel sure we shall get on capitally together. I believe I have rather a reputation for strictness and severity, but no one who strives to do his duty well will find me either strict or severe. But are you the Mr Chester who was with Captain Brisac in the ‘Scourge’ during his last cruise?”
I replied simply that I was.
“Upon my word, young gentleman, I am glad to hear it,” said Mr Annesley; “for I shall have the satisfaction of knowing that I have at least one midshipman of promise under me, whatever the rest may be. Now come down into the gun-room, and get something to eat; we are the only officers on board, so I thought it was not worth while to lay out a couple of tables. And while we are eating, you may as well give me an account of your action with, the French frigate, which, by the way, has, I see, been purchased into our own navy, and given to Captain Brisac.”