But the English government, according to its lights--which appear to be

everlasting--regarded him as the right man, when wanted, but at other

times the wrong one. They liked him to do them a very good turn, but

would not let him do himself one; and whenever he looked for some fair

chance of a little snug prize-money, they took him away from the likely

places, and set him to hard work and hard knocks. But his sense of duty

and love of country enabled him to bear it, with grumbling.

"I don't care a rope's end," he was saying, with a truthfulness simple

and solid as beefsteak is, "whether we have peace or war; but let

us have one or the other of them. I love peace--it is a very fine

thing--and I hate to see poor fellows killed. All I want is to spend the

rest of my life ashore, and lay out the garden. You must come and see

what a bridge I have made to throw across the fish-pond. I can do well

enough with what I have got, as soon as my farm begins to pay, and I

hope I may never hear another shotted cannon; but, my dear Lingo, you

know as well as I do how much chance there is of that."

"Laudo manentem. Let us praise her while we have got her. Parson Twemlow

keeps up my Latin, but you have forgotten all yours, my friend. I

brought you down here to see the fish come in, and to choose what you

like best for dinner. In the days when you were my smallest youngster,

and as proud as Punch to dine with me, your taste was the finest in the

ship, because your stomach was the weakest. How often I thought that the

fish would eat you! and but for your wonderful spirit, my friend, that

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