"No-throw it into your wash-hand basin, So God prosper thee, and vale!"

The surgeon extended his hand, which the young lieutenant shook most gratefully, after which the former, in the presence of his mess-mates, and in most learned terms, ordered the said haustus nugarum. The gunroom mess sat down to breakfast at the exact period of eight-none of them, the doctor excepted, feeling very comfortable or happy, and all firmly believing that in the mind of the poor prisoner anxiety had brought on absolute illness. In a few minutes the gunroom boy appeared with the draught.

"Is that physic?" demanded the first lieutenant, who was a most thorough-paced toady and spy of the captain. 'Yes, sir," replied the boy.

Bring it here then, sir. I want to taste it." "Taste it, my dear boy," said the doctor. "Lord bless me-I never had the least notion you were fond of physic for breakfast, for I have plenty, even nastier than that, down in the cockpit. How much would you like to have? Steward, bring the first lieutenant a quart basin."

"Sir, I'll thank you not to venture any of your ill-timed jokes on matters of duty. I tasted the medicine, because it was my duty to see that nothing in the shape of laudanum was administered to a prisoner awaiting sentence of court-martial. However, I find it is not that,"-using his handkerchief with a shudder at the abominable flavour of the draught.

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No, faith," quoth the doctor; "I should think it is not; if you only knew what you'd been drinking, you would require little breakfast.”

This speech, which was uttered in an affected low tone, as if to escape the ear of the prisoner, had so nauseating an effect on the first lieutenant, that he was obliged to rise suddenly from the table, and hurrying upon the deck, amidst the laughter of them all.

"That's a dose for him at any rate," quoth the doctor, "if he never gets another."

CHAPTER V.

Taint but bright Justice at her sacred spring,
The stream diffuses poison and not health.

LITTLE time did the doctor of the frigate lose over his breakfast, on the morning of which we are writing. Hastily quitting the gunroom, he repaired to the cockpit, and sending his assistant to dress for the shore, despatched in his own person the various compounds that required to be dispensed for the sick of the frigate. This matter over, which, by the way, is never a very ceremonious one on board of a man-of-war, old Dolichus, who was rather inclined to obesity in his figure, waddled away to his cabin, to indite the note to his trusty friend on shore, having spared in this no degree of earnestness which could further the purpose in view. This being carefully sealed in a couple of antelopes, (as the hall-porter of the Union Club expresses it,) to guard against accidents, the doctor repaired on the quarter-deck, snuff-box in hand.

"Well, doctor, what do you want?" said the first lieutenant, as he took the sweet pinch offered to him, yet knowing, nevertheless, that the box was rarely or ever volunteered, unless the proprietor had some favour to ask in return.

"What do I want?" reiterated the surgeon; "nothing very particular-only a little point on his Majesty's service. In making out the sick list this morning, and giving attendance thereto, as my friend Six-and-eightpence would say, I find we are completely out of a very necessary medicine, so I came to speak to you relative to sending Bathurst, my assistant, on shore for some.'

"But how can that be? In ten minutes you will have to start for the guard-ship, where, as you know, your testimony is important."

"True, my dear. fellow; but then you see testimony, evidence, and the like, form one of those classes of subjects on which the law will allow you to have no assistance whatever; so that job, I fear, I must endure myself."

"You must know that I alluded only to the ship being left without medical advice."

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“O, bless her old timbers, is that all! I've been giving her plenty of that ever since the day I joined, saying, whenever I've gone over her old sides, You'd better go below, my dear, before I come back again; but all in vain; so I begin to fear she's as deaf as a post. No, no; I've gone through all the duty till this evening, and don't think I'm so bad a disciplinarian as to permit any one to fall sick between hours. A pretty enervating state of luxury we should then be got to."

"Well then, send him ;" and the lieutenant, tired of being badgered, turned to some more amusing part of his office. In less than five minutes from the obtaining of this permission, the assistant surgeon was on his way to the shore.

“Inshallah!" muttered the surgeon, as he watched the departing boat, "there is one chance the less for these sons of tyranny; and if our 'gentle shepherd' be not a merchanter before a morning more be grown to a noonday, I'm mistaken in my friend-but that's not likely."

While Vulnerabilis was thus congratulating himself on the success of his schemes, his arm was touched by one of the side-boys. "The boat's waiting, sir, to take you on board the flagship for court-martial."

"Has the prisoner's boat then started, boy?" demanded the surgeon.

"No, sir; it will follow you.”

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Come, doctor, doctor; the moment of starting's past." Thus admonished, the surgeon stepped over the side into the cutter, in which were waiting such of his other brother officers as, having witnessed with himself the transaction that gave rise to the trial, were now with him called upon to give evidence of the same.

Having shoved off from the frigate, and gained some hundred yards ahead of her, they perceived the prisoner, still under guard, descend into a second boat, which put off to follow them, while the captain and his wretched animal of a son, the cause of all the evil, formed a third party in the gig of the former. Punctual to the hour of nine the court-martial assembled, and the necessary forms having been gone through, this wretched mockery of justice proceeded.

In the first place, Lieutenant Livingstone had applied for a trial on Lieutenant Ramsay, for offering to strike him. The application being granted, the father of the prosecutor was named as one of the judges, from the paucity of captains then in harbour not otherwise making up the

necessary number. On the other hand, Lieutenant Ramsay demanded a court-martial on Livingstone for unofficerlike conduct. This also was granted, and the same judge, for the same reason, retained among the rest to try both causes. The formalities of opening the court having been gone through, the witnesses were called, and, from amid all the tedious delay and prolixity of court-martial examination, this was the story to be inferred from the evidence: in the first place, that Mr. Ramsay, being one of the officers of the frigate, and introduced by her captain to his table, had there for the first time encountered the captain's daughter, and became attached to her: that he had afterwards seized every possible opportunity of ingratiating himself in her favour. Nor did this, in the mind of some parties, appear to be anything like the worst point of the case. Not only had Ramsay attached himself to Miss Livingstone, but, infinitely greater crime in him, had found some method of inducing the lady to return his affection.

It next appeared that Angela's brother, having taken great exception to these proceedings, lost no opportunity of remonstrating with either party, without producing much effect beyond that of greatly increasing the treason. ous affection of both. That finding this to be the result of his labours, he had ventured on still warmer expostulations, calling the suitor a damned puppy, and using other expressions equally expressive of the prosecutor's regard, and the desire he entertained of the prisoner's alliance; on which the prisoner, in contempt and defiance of the wellknown articles of war, had, for the purpose of personal violence," raised his hand against his superior officer." For all of which charges the most irrefragable testimony having been adduced, Lieutenant Ramsay was broken, and peremptorily dismissed from the service of his Majesty.

The two parties now changed positions as prisoner and prosecutor; and the same testimony having been delivered in a slightly different way, Lieutenant Livingstone was dismissed the service in consequence of ungentlemanlike language. In consequence, however, of the great provocation he had received, he was forthwith reinstated, with much admonition how he should in future guide himself. The honourable court now broke up, fully satisfied of having in every way discharged its duty according to its oath, but more especially the father-the mild, the amiable Captain Livingstone, whose wishes and intentions towards the prisoner were now merely to "cut his liver out, and—

nothing more." On Ramsay the blow fell with less violence than his enemies had expected. They knew not, in the first place, how fully he was prepared for the stroke, nor, in the second, that his whole faculties were absorbed in preparing to escape the deeper gulf into which it was the firm resolve of his enemies to plunge him. Anxiously had he looked from time to time at his faithful friend, the surgeon's head, but the quills did not yet bristle on “the fretful porcupine;" and when the court broke up, he found himself standing solitary and avoided. Around young Livingstone he saw several of his late messmates crowding forward, to offer him their slavish and hypocritical congratulations-men whom he had often heard condemning the same creature behind his back, for all the meannesses under heaven. His father also, and several of the other members of the court, came forward to shake hands with and take him below to luncheon; while on Ramsay the only looks bestowed were those of cold indifference or half-concealed contempt; and this from many who, in the sunshine of his day, had basked and laughed with him, ready to receive any favour or obligation in his power to grant. His blood boiled fiercely in his veins as he witnessed these sad proofs of human littleness. But then, thought he, it will be the same in all times while the abject species shall endure, and they are only fools who expect aught beside. What says the immortal Shakspeare?"Men's eyes did scowl on Richard-no one cried, God save him!"

As these bitter reflections passed through his mind, he questioned of himself what should prevent him from stepping forth, and hurling insult and defiance in his late accuser's teeth, now that the bonds of the service no longer held him down in slavery. In another instant he had done so, but the thought of her to whom he was betrothed intervened. That reflection convinced him that any mean and despicable triumph over himself should be permitted, rather than that he should provoke an encounter which might end in his taking her brother's life-an accident that might place an insuperable barrier between himself and the object of those deep hopes and strong affections for which he had already not only perilled but lost all. Mustering all his fortitude, therefore, to receive with the panoply of scorn the keen arrows of desertion, he looked at his watch with that feverish anxiety which is the first offspring of misfortune. "What if even my tried old friend should waver now! we know not who may fall