“Well, well,” said Jack, “that doesn’t sound so badly; but still, you have no right at your age to go and marry without our father’s and mother’s sanction; and until you have got it I’ll be no party to your giving up the service and settling down for life in an out-of-the-way corner of Russia. With regard to Higson, the case is very different; he is twice your age, has very little prospect of promotion, and no friends that I know of to give up; besides which, I am pretty certain that nothing would induce him to take service in the Russian navy, with the chance of being employed against England.”
“I don’t see that our cases are so very different,” answered Tom; “and you may put me in irons, and do what you like, but I’ll not promise to give up Feodorowna, nor write the cruel letter you propose, to bid her farewell. There, you’ve got my answer, and I’ve in no way infringed the articles of war by saying that, though you are my commander.”
“I am not quite certain that you have not, by the tone in which you speak,” answered Jack; “however, I am very sorry for it, Tom, and warn you that as you are obstinate, I must take measures accordingly.”
What those measures were, Jack did not tell his brother. Having dismissed him, he sent for Dick Needham, and desired him to keep a watchful eye on the youngster, lest he might take French leave and quit the ship.
“Ay, ay, sir,” answered Dick; “though they’re not a bad sort of people in the main, I shouldn’t like Mr Tom to turn into a Russian—it won’t be my fault if he gives leg-bail.”
Satisfied on this point, Jack, ordering his gig, pulled on board the Gleam, which ship was to sail the next day for England. The Giaour had gone home some time before, and Murray hoped to pay her off and to be allowed to remain on shore with his beloved Stella. Jack explained his anxieties about Tom to Adair, who at once agreed to take him home, and not to lose sight of him till he had handed him over either to Admiral Triton or Sir John and Lady Rogers.
“Take him in the first instance to the admiral,” said Jack, “he will consider his opinion as less biassed than that of our father and mother, and be more likely to yield submission to it.”
On his return to the Tornado, Jack ordered Tom’s marine to pack up his chest, and have it lowered into his gig alongside; he then summoned Tom, and, allowing him to wish his messmates good-bye, told him to follow his chest. Tom looked, as he felt, very unhappy; Dicky Duff and Billy Blueblazes, especially, thought him a hardly-used individual—though his older messmates were more inclined to laugh than to sympathise with him. Adair received him on board in a very kind way, and Desmond acted the part of a true friend by listening to all he had to say—though he avoided giving him any encouragement, and when Tom declared his intention of making his escape in the first caique which came alongside, he warned him that he could not possibly succeed.
Next morning the Gleam steamed away down the Bosphorus. Tom had not been many hours at sea before he recovered his spirits, and was able to admire the beautiful scenery amid which the ship was steering her course.
Having now settled this matter to his satisfaction, Jack turned his attention to the affair of his first lieutenant. Higson’s interview with the old tutor had confirmed him in his resolution to abandon the service and marry Ivanowna; and Jack, though sorry to lose him, promised to do his best to forward his views. Jack gave him leave of absence, and Higson was engaged in packing up to accompany Herr Groben in a steamer which was to start the next day for the Crimea, when the commander of the Tornado was sent for on board the flagship. Greatly to his satisfaction, Jack found that he had to return to Balaclava on an affair relating to the evacuation of the place, and afterwards to visit other places to the eastward which had been captured by the allied squadrons and restored to the Russians.