"
"I am sorry for you, my hero," said the young lady; "but you must
submit."
"Well then, if I must, I must," said I; "but give me a kiss in the
meantime."
I asked for one, and took a hundred, and should have taken a hundred
more, but the confounded butler came in, and brought me a letter on
service, which was neither more nor less than an order to join my ship
forthwith; _sic transit_, &c.
Pocketing my disappointment with as much _sang froid_ as I could
muster, I continued to beguile the time and to solace myself for my
past sufferings, by as much enjoyment as could be compressed into the
small space of leisure time allotted to me. Fortunately, the first
lieutenant of the frigate was what we used to call "a hard officer;"
he never went on shore, because he had few friends and less money. He
drew for his pay on the day it became due, and it lasted till the next
day of payment; and as I found he doated on a Spanish cigar, and
a _correct_ glass of cognac grog--for he never drank to excess--I
presented him with a box of the former, and a dozen of the latter, to
enable him to bear my nightly absence with Christian composure.
As soon as the day's work was ended, the good-natured lieutenant used
to say, "Come, Mr Mildmay, I know what it is to be in love; I was once
in love myself, though it is a good many years ago, and I am sure I
shall get into the good graces of your Polly (for so he called Emily)
if I send you to her arms.
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