“Couldn’t you put in something about a sunflower or a poplar,” suggested Tom. “The lady in question rather brings to my mind some of the taller productions of nature. You must have remarked she’s a head and a half taller than you are, Billy, and Mrs Bubsby even more than that above the major.”
“I might begin, ‘Tall art thou as the stately pine,’ but I think I should be bothered if I had to introduce the sunflower,” observed Billy.
“Give them to me,” said Tom, “and I will look them over; perhaps I may get the paymaster to help me—he’s a capital hand with his pen.”
Billy, pulling a paper out of his pocket, gave it to Tom, and after pacing the deck for a few minutes longer went below to turn in, though, he averred, not to sleep. It should have been mentioned that Billy had been promoted before leaving England, and was now junior lieutenant of the ship.
Tom, however, had no opportunity of looking at the verses. The following night the ship was five or six miles from Waterloo Bay, but Jack deemed it prudent to wait until next morning to stand in.
Billy was very miserable at the thoughts of having so soon to part from Angelica.
“I say, Rogers, do you think the captain would let me go on shore just for a day or two? The ship is sure to remain here for some time.”
“I’m not so certain of that, and you cannot be spared,” answered Tom. “The captain would smell a rat; depend upon that. He’s too sharp-sighted not to have observed what has been going on. I don’t think he altogether admires the young lady as much as you do.”
“Have you read the remainder of the verses?” asked Billy. “Some of the lines want endings, and some of the verses want lines and rhymes. My ideas are very grand, but I am apt to break down for want of appropriate rhymes.”
“I’ll find them for you,” said Tom. “I’ve got a dictionary, and I’ll run my eye down it, and select as many as you can want.”