Part 35 (1/2)

Pierre again and again thanked Bill for having brought hihtful a place

”Ah!” he said, ”that lady,” looking at Mrs Crofton, ”reirl is just like Jeannette, when she was younger And they are so kind and gentle! I shall get well very soon, though I think I should have died if I had remained at the hospital, where I was nearly stifled, while day and night I heard the oaths and groans of lish as the cause of their suffering, regardless of the care that is being taken of them”

”I was very sure you would recover sooner in a quiet house by yourself, and therefore I begged my officer to have you removed,” said Bill

It was not for some time that Pierre remarked the new midshi+pman's uniform

”Why, you told me you were a shi+p's boy, now I see you dressed as an officer!” he exclaiht after all”

”No, they rong,” answered Bill ”I was then what I told you, but I aave an account to Pierre of how he had been promoted Their conversation was interrupted by the return of Mrs Crofton and Mary with some food for their patient, as the doctor had told Mr Saltwell that he should be fed often, though with but little at a time As Mrs Crofton could speak French, she did not require Bill to interpret for her

He was glad to find that Pierre would be able to converse with his kind hostess Mr Saltwell, who had gone into the drawing-rooht stay with Pierre until the evening, and that he should have leave to visit hiate remained in harbour

The first lieutenant now took his leave, and Mrs Crofton observing that ”Pierre would be the better for so -roo to hear more about his adventures in France than Mr Saltwell had been able to tell her Bill hi to talk away on the subject as long as she wished, especially when he found so ready a listener in Mary He began with an account of the blowing up of the _Foxhound_; and when he had finished, Mrs Crofton wished to knoas that he first cao back to tell her all about himself, and the death of his mother, and how he had been left penniless in the world

”And now I find you a midshi+pman arm friends; in a few years you will be a lieutenant, then a coth a British adained your promotion without the interest of relatives or born friends, siood conduct and bravery”

”I don't knohat I may become, ma'am,” said Bill, inclined to smile at Mrs Crofton's enthusiasm ”At present I am but a midshi+pman, but I will try, as I always have, to do my duty”

This conversation made Bill feel perfectly at home with Mrs Crofton

Indeed, it seemed to hi to confide in her as if she were histo confide in Mary Indeed, all the reserve he at first felt quickly wore off, and he talked to her as if she had been his sister If he did not say to hiht her what ood, honest, open-hearted girl, with clear hazel, truthful eyes, and a sweet smile on her mouth when she s in her laughter She reminded him, as she did Pierre, of Jeannette, and Bill felt very sure that, should she ever have the opportunity of helping any one in distress, she would be ready to take as irl had in assisting Jack and him

”Do you know, Mr Rayner, I like midshi+pmen very much?” she said, in her artless way ”My brother Oliver is a midshi+pman, and as I am very fond of him, I like all midshi+pmen for his sake At first I was inclined to like you because you were a midshi+ped to you,” said Bill; ”and I like you for yourself, I can tell you I didn't know before that you had a brother Oliver

Where is he serving?”

”On board the _Ariel_ corvette in the West Indies,” answered Mary

”Perhaps some day we may fall in with each other,” said Bill; ”and I aood friends, for I shall be inclined to like him for your sake”

”Then I' so He is only three years older than I ae I suppose He went to sea when he was a very little felloith poor dear papa, as killed in action Oliver was by his side at the ti how brokenhearted he was The people were very kind to him Papa was lieutenant of the shi+p, and was loved by all the ood and kind and gentle he ith us”

The tears caht eyes as she spoke of her father

”Whenever we hear of a battle out there, poor mamma is very anxious until the particulars come home, and she knows that Oliver is safe,”

said Mary ”We are nearly sure to get a letter from him, for he alrites when he can, and I hope that you'll write also when you are away, and tell us all that you are doing; then we shall receive two letters instead of one, and we shall always be so very, very glad to hear from you”

Bill pro that he should be pleased to do so, especially as he had not ht have said that he had none, as he was, in truth, not acquainted with anybody on shore Mary and her mother were the first friends he had ever possessed, so that he very naturally valued thereat service to him in many respects, for Mrs Crofton was a ladylike and refined person, though her ive him instruction in the ways and h Bill was so observant, and anxious to iht, that he only required the opportunity to fit hihly for his new station in life

Mr Saltwell lent hi every spare moment, to make amends for his want of early education