“Oh! that will be capital fun,” cried Mrs Sims. “Mary, you’d like it amazingly. We can sit on deck, and look at the stars, and sing songs, and have our tea, and listen to the sailors’ yarns—”
“And have the chance of being run down and sunk by one of those big blundering iron steam-kettles,” growled the lieutenant, who had the antipathy long felt by old sailors to all the modern innovations, as he considered them, in the navy.
As the cutter glided up towards the shore, the party standing on the beach waved their handkerchiefs, and the ladies on board waved theirs. The jib was taken in, the foresail hauled down, and the yacht rounding to, the anchor was let drop at a short distance from the beach.
“Haul the boat up alongside, Tom,” said Captain Maynard. “Now, Mr Sims, I must get you to take charge of the first party for the shore.”
“With the greatest pleasure in the world; I am always at the service of the ladies,” answered the lieutenant, bowing round to them, “but my difficulty is to know who is to go first, unless I select by seniority. Miss Sarah Pemberton, suppose I ask you—age before honesty, you know.”
“You do not wish to insult me, Mr Sims?” answered the lady, bridling up.
“Come, come, Sally, Sims never thought of such a thing; he was only joking, or rather, let the words slip out of his mouth without knowing what he was saying,” said Captain Maynard.
“I am not fond of joking,” replied Miss Sarah; “but if you wish me to go first, I shall be very glad to get on shore, I assure you.”
“Pardon me, madam,” said the lieutenant, looking very penitent, and offering his hand. “I wouldn’t say a word to ruffle your sensitive feelings, I do assure you.” Miss Pemberton, being appeased, gave her hand to the lieutenant, and though she at first showed some signs of trepidation, stepped without difficulty into the sternsheets of the boat. She was followed by Mrs and Miss Sims.
“Come, young Lennard, you get into the bows, and help to trim the boat,” said Mr Sims; and shoving off, they pulled for the shore.