“Have you had wine enough?” said Jack, very politely; “if so, we will go to the Marquesa’s.”

The coxswain came to the door, touched his hat to the captain, and looked significantly.

“And so, sir,” cried Captain Tartar, in a voice of thunder, rising from his chair, “you’re a d—d runaway midshipman, who, if you belonged to my ship, instead of marrying Donna Agnes, I would marry you to the gunner’s daughter, by G—d! Two midshipmen sporting plain clothes in the best society in Palermo, and having the impudence to ask a post-captain to dine with them! To ask me, and address me as Tartar, and my dear fellow! you infernal young scamps!” continued Captain Tartar, now boiling with rage, and striking his fist on the table so as to set all the glasses waltzing.

“Allow me to observe, sir,” said Jack, who was completely sobered by the address, “that we do not belong to your ship, and that we are in plain clothes.”

“In plain clothes—midshipmen in mufti—yes, you are so: a couple of young swindlers, without a sixpence in your pocket, passing yourselves off as young men of fortune, and walking off through the window without paying your bill.”

“Do you mean to call me a swindler, sir?” replied Jack.

“Yes, sir, you—”

“Then you lie,” exclaimed our hero in a rage. “I am a gentleman, sir—I am sorry I cannot pay you the same compliment.”

The astonishment and rage of Captain Tartar took away his breath. He tried to speak, but could not—he gasped and gasped, and then sat or almost fell down in his chair—at last he recovered himself.

“Matthews—Matthews!”

“Sir,” replied the coxswain, who had remained at the door.

“The sergeant of marines.”

“Here he is, sir.”

The sergeant entered, and raised the back of his hand to his hat.

“Bring your marines in—take charge of these two. Directly you are on board, put them both legs in irons.”

The marines with their bayonets walked in and took possession of our hero and Gascoigne.

“Perhaps, sir,” replied Jack, who was now cool again, “you will permit us to pay our bill before we go on board. We are no swindlers, and it is rather a heavy one—or, as you have taken possession of our persons, you will, perhaps, do us the favour to discharge it yourself;” and Jack threw on the table a heavy purse of dollars. “I have only to observe, Captain Tartar, that I wish to be very liberal to the waiters.”

“Sergeant, let them pay their bill,” said Captain Tartar, in a more subdued tone—taking his hat and sword, and walking out of the room.

“By heavens, Easy, what have you done?—you will be tried by a court-martial, and turned out of the service.”

“I hope so,” replied Jack; “I was a fool to come into it. But he called me a swindler, and I would give the same answer to-morrow.”