“I congratulate you,” said Jack, as he handed two official-looking letters, the one to Tom and the other to Desmond, respectively addressed Lieutenant Thomas Rogers and Lieutenant Gerald Desmond.
The envelopes contained their commissions.
“Those papers, I suspect, will do more to set you up than anything else,” said Jack.
“Indeed they will, although they have been long enough in coming,” answered Tom.
“Faith! I could get up and dance a jig forthwith,” exclaimed Desmond.
“You’d better not, in case the ladies should arrive to congratulate you,” observed his uncle.
“Is there no letter for me? I wonder when I shall get promoted!” asked Billy from his corner of the room.
“All in good time,” answered Jack. “Perhaps you will have an opportunity before long of doing something to distinguish yourself.”
Next morning the two lieutenants and Billy were able to come downstairs. Their promotion had had a wonderful effect on Tom and Desmond, who talked and joked at a great rate with their fair hostesses. As might be supposed, the young lieutenants lost their hearts, and even Billy Blueblazes, though still a midshipman, became more sentimental than he was ever before known to have been, the most juvenile of the ladies being the object of his adoration. A copy of verses, which he had begun to compose in her praise, though as yet he had not got very far in them, afforded a subject of amusement to his messmates.
Their visit on shore was, however, brought abruptly to an end, in consequence of the two ships being ordered off to New Zealand.