Chapter 51 - Page 2

Claret, to be imprisoned month after month on the
gun-deck, without so much as smelling a citron. Ah! Captain Claret,
what sings sweet Waller:

'But who can always on the billows lie?
The watery wilderness yields no supply.'
compared with such a prisoner, noble Captain,
'Happy, thrice happy, who, in battle slain,
Press'd in Atrides' cause the Trojan pain!'
Pope's version, sir, not the original Greek."

And so saying, Jack once more brought his hat-rim to his mouth,
and slightly bending forward, stood mute.

At this juncture the Most Serene Commodore himself happened to
emerge from the after-gangway, his gilded buttons, epaulets, and
the gold lace on his chapeau glittering in the flooding sunset.
Attracted by the scene between Captain Claret and so well-known
and admired a commoner as Jack Chase he approached, and assuming
for the moment an air of pleasant condescension--never shown to
his noble barons the officers of the ward-room--he said, with a
smile, "Well, Jack, you and your shipmates are after some favour,
I suppose--a day's liberty, is it not?"

Whether it was the horizontal setting sun, streaming along the
deck, that blinded Jack, or whether it was in sun-worshipping
homage of the mighty Commodore, there is no telling; but just at
this juncture noble Jack was standing reverentially holding his
hat to his brow, like a man with weak eyes.

"Valiant Commodore," said he, at last, "this audience is indeed
an honour undeserved. I almost sink beneath it. Yes, valiant
Commodore, your sagacious mind has truly divined our object.
Liberty, sir; liberty is, indeed, our humble prayer. I trust your
honourable wound, received in glorious battle, valiant Comodore,
pains you less today than common."

"Ah! cunning Jack!" cried the Commodore, by no means blind to the
bold sortie of his flattery, but not at all displeased with it.
In more respects than one, our Commodore's wound was his weak side.

"I think we must give them liberty," he added, turning to Captain
Claret; who thereupon, waving Jack further off, fell into
confidential discourse with his superior.

"Well, Jack, we will see about it," at last cried the Commodore,
advancing. "I think we must let you go."

"To your duty, captain of the main-top!" said the Captain, rather
stiffly. He wished to neutralise somewhat the effect of the
Commodore's condescension. Besides, he had much rather the
Commodore had been in his cabin. His presence, for the time,
affected his own supremacy in his ship. But Jack was nowise cast
down by the Captain's coldness; he felt safe enough; so he
proceeded to offer his acknowledgments.