:}84 Old Neighbours — An Admiral on Shore. [April,' 



her different seminaries ; and even aspired, in imitation of her mamma, 

 to the character of authoress, having actually perpetrated a sonnet to 

 the moon, which sonnet, contrary to the well-known recipe of Boileau 

 and the ordinary practice of all nations, contained eighteen lines, four 

 quatrians, and a couplet ; a prodigality of words which the fair poetess 

 endeavoured to counterbalance by a corresponding sparingness of idea. 

 There was no harm in Julia, poor thing, with all her affectation. She 

 was really warm-hearted and well-tempered, and might have improved 

 under her sister's kind and judicious management, but for a small acci- 

 dent which interrupted the family harmony, and eventually occasioned 

 their removal from Hannonby. 



The admiral, always addicted to favoritism, had had under his pro- 

 tection, from boyhood to manhood, one youth of remarkable promise. 

 He had been his first lieutenant on board the Mermaiden, and was now, 

 at three-and-twenty, a master and commander ; which promotion, 

 although it ejected him from that paragon of frigates, the young captain 

 did not seem to think so great an evil as the admiral had found his ad- 

 vancement. He was invited to the White House forthwith ; and the 

 gallant veteran, who seldom took the trouble to conceal any of his pur- 

 poses, soon announced that Captain Claremont was his Intended son-in- 

 law, and that Miss Julia was the destined bride. 



The gentleman arrived, and did as much honour to the admiral's taste 

 as his other favourite Bill Jones. Captain Claremont was really a very 

 fine young man, with the best part of beauty, figure, and countenance, 

 and a delightful mixture of frankness and feeling, of spirit and gaiety, in 

 his open and gentlemanly manners ; he was, at a word, just the image 

 that one conjures up when thinking of a naval officer. His presence 

 added greatly to the enjoyment of the family ; the admiral " fought his 

 battles over again," and so did his lady ; she also threatened to get up 

 her comedy (in which case I could not have escaped hearing it), and 

 talked and laughed all day long ; Anne watched the proceedings with evi- 

 dent amusement, and looked even archer than usual ; whilst Julia, the 

 heroine of the scene, behaved as is customary in such cases, walked 

 about, exquisitely dressed, with a book in her hand, or reclined in a 

 picturesque attitude expecting to be made love to ; and Captain Clare- 

 mont, who had never seen either sister before, pleased with Julia's 

 beauty and a little alarmed at Anne's wit, appeared in a fair way of losing 

 his heart in the proper quarter. In short, the flirtation seemed going 

 on very prosperously ; and the admiral, in high glee, vented divers sea 

 jokes on the supposed lovers, and chuckled over the matter to Bill Jones, 

 who winked and grinned and nodded responsively. 



After a few weeks that sagacious adherent began to demur — " Things 

 seemed," as he observed, " rather at a stand-still— the courtship was a 

 deal slacker, and his honour, the captain, had talked of heaving anchor, 

 and sailing off for Lincolnshire." To this the admiral answered nothing 

 but " tush !" and " pshaw !" and as the captain actually relinquished, 

 with very little pressing, his design of leaving Hannonby, Bill Jones's 

 suspicions did seem .i little super-subtle. Bill, however, at the end of 

 ten days, retained his opinion. " For certain," he said, " Miss Julia 

 had all the signs of liking upon her, and moped and hung her head and 

 talked to herself like the negro who drowned himself for love on board 

 the Mermaiden ; and the captain, he could not say but he might 

 be in love — he was very much fallen away since he had been in that 



