Peter Simple | Page 5

same time that it
was a breach of honour, and that in my opinion he was no gentleman.
"Just as you please, youngster," replied he. "Recollect, you have told
me I am no gentleman."
He wrapped his plaid around him, and said no more; and I was not a
little pleased at having silenced him by my resolute behaviour.
CHAPTER THREE.
I AM MADE TO LOOK VERY BLUE AT THE BLUE POSTS--FIND
WILD SPIRITS AROUND, AND, SOON AFTER, HOT SPIRITS
WITHIN ME; AT LENGTH MY SPIRITS OVERCOME ME--CALL
TO PAY MY RESPECTS TO THE CAPTAIN, AND FIND THAT I
HAD HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING HIM BEFORE--NO
SOONER OUT OF ONE SCRAPE THAN INTO ANOTHER.
When we stopped, I enquired of the coachman which was the best inn.
He answered that "it was the Blue Postesses, where the midshipmen
leave their chestesses, call for tea and toastesses, and sometimes forget
to pay for their breakfastesses." He laughed when he said it, and I
thought that he was joking with me; but he pointed out two, large blue
posts at the door next the coach-office, and told me that all the
midshipmen resorted to that hotel. The coffee-room was full of
midshipmen, and, as I was anxious about my chest, I enquired of one of
them if he knew when the waggon would come in.

"Do you expect your mother by it?" replied he.
"O no! but I expect my uniforms--I only wear these bottle-greens until
they come."
"And pray what ship are you going to join?"
"The Die-a-maid--Captain Thomas Kirkwall Savage."
"The Diomede--I say, Robinson, a'n't that the frigate in which the
midshipmen had four dozen apiece for not having pipe-clayed their
weekly accounts on the Saturday?"
"To be sure it is," replied the other; "why the captain gave a youngster
five dozen the other day for wearing a scarlet watch-riband."
"'Pon my soul I pity you: you'll be fagged to death; for there's only
three midshipmen in the ship now--all the rest ran away. Didn't they,
Robinson?"
"There's only two left now:--for poor Matthews died of fatigue. He was
worked all day, and kept watch all night for six weeks, and one
morning he was found dead upon his chest."
"God bless my soul!" cried I, "and yet, on shore, they say he is such a
kind man to his midshipmen."
"Yes," replied Robinson, "he spreads that report everywhere. Come, sit
down with us and take a glass of grog; it will keep your spirits up."
I am sorry to state that the midshipmen made me very tipsy that
evening. I don't recollect being put to bed, but I found myself there the
next morning with a dreadful head-ache, and a very confused
recollection of what had passed. I was very much shocked at my having
so soon forgotten the injunctions of my parents, and was making vows
never to be so foolish again, when in came the midshipman who had
been so kind to me the night before. "Come, Mr Bottlegreen," he
bawled out, alluding, I suppose, to the colour of my clothes, "rouse and

bitt. There's the captain's coxswain waiting for you below. By the
powers, you're in a pretty scrape for what you did last night!"
"Did last night!" replied I, astonished. "Why, does the captain know
that I was tipsy?"
"I think you took devilish good care to let him know it when you were
at the theatre."
"At the theatre! was I at the theatre?"
"To be sure you were. You would go, do all we could to prevent you,
though you were as drunk as David's sow. Your captain was there with
the admiral's daughters. You called him a tyrant, and snapped your
fingers at him. Why, don't you recollect? You told him that you did not
care a fig for him."
"O dear! O dear! what shall I do? what shall I do?" cried I.
"Upon my honour, I'm sorry--very sorry indeed," replied the
midshipman;--and he quitted the room, looking as grave as if the
misfortune had happened to himself. I got up with a heavy head, and
heavier heart, and as soon as I was dressed, I asked the way to the
George Inn. I took my letter of introduction with me, although I was
afraid it would be of little service. When I arrived, I asked, with a
trembling voice, whether Captain Thomas Kirkwall Savage, of H.M.S.
Diomede, was staying there. The waiter replied, that he was at breakfast
with Captain Courtney, but that he would take up my name. I give it
him, and in a minute the waiter returned and desired that I would walk
up. O how my heart beat--I never was so frightened--I thought I should
have dropped on the stairs. Twice I attempted to walk into the