The Three Lieutenants | Page 6

as true as steel, and as
brave and high-spirited as he is kind-hearted and generous."
"A perfect hero of romance," observed Lucy, laughing; "I am really
sorry that he is not coming here to enable us to judge of him fairly."
Possibly Lucy thought more about Lieutenant Adair than she chose to
acknowledge. She could not, however, help reflecting that her mamma
would look upon an Irish half-pay naval lieutenant, with a host of
penniless brothers and sisters, in no very favourable light, should he
come in the character of a suitor, so that after all it was just as well he
could not accept Jack's invitation.
Jack made the most of his time while he remained at Halliburton Hall,
winning the good-will of everybody in the neighbourhood. He laughed
and talked and danced with the fairer portion in the most impartial
manner; young and old, pretty and plain, all came in for a due share of
his attentions. His sisters were quite vexed with him for not falling in
love with one of three or four of their especial friends. They had a

preference for a Julia Giffard; but should Jack fail to lose his heart to
Julia, or Julia decline bestowing hers on him, there were at least three
others of almost equal attractions and perfections, either of whom they
could love as a sister-in-law; and it would be so delightful, while Jack
was away, to have some one to whom they might talk about him, and to
whom he would write such delightful letters which they, of course,
would have the privilege of reading.
Then, some day, when he was a commander or post-captain, he would
come home, and marry, and settle down in a pretty little cottage near
them, and take to gardening, as many naval officers do, and be so
happy. One day they delicately broached the subject to Jack. He burst
into a hearty laugh.
"I fall in love with Julia Giffard!" he exclaimed. "My dear girls, what a
miserable fate you are suggesting for your friend. Suppose she were to
engage herself to me! Away I go for three or four years; back for two
months, and off again for a cruise of like duration as the first. In the
mean time she meets half-a-dozen more likely fellows than I am, as far
as money is concerned at all events, but cannot encourage them on
account of her fatal engagement to me; and perhaps, after all, I get
knocked on the head and never come home at all, while the best years
of her youth have gone by. No, no, girls; young naval officers who
intend to follow up their profession have no business to marry; that's
my opinion, and I intend to act on it."
Jack's sisters were disappointed, for they saw that he was in earnest,
and had sound sense on his side, still they were not inclined to give in.
"Then why were you so anxious to get your two brother officers to
come here?" asked Lucy, with considerable naivete.
"Whew! was that running in your head, missie?" cried Jack. "There's no
use denying the fact."
What that fact was Jack did not say. Lucy blushed, and said no more
about Julia Giffard to her hard-hearted brother. Jack went on as usual,
making himself agreeable, to the best of his power, and no one would

have suspected who saw them together, that the pretty Julia had been
suggested to him as his future wife, least of all the young lady herself.
He and every one of the family had soon another matter to engage their
attention--Admiral Triton arrived. Tom on seeing him could scarcely
conceal his agitation. The crisis of his fate, as he believed, had arrived.
The Admiral was diplomatic, however, not knowing how Sir John, or at
all events Lady Rogers, would receive his proposal to send off another
of their sons as an offering to Neptune. He and Tom had a long talk,
first in private. Tom acknowledged that he had serious thoughts of
stowing himself away in Jack's chest, not to come out till the ship was
well at sea when he could not be landed; or, failing that plan, to run off
and enter as a powder-monkey or cabin-boy under a feigned tame. Go
he would he had determined, in some way or other, for if not, he should
certainly fall into a decline, or at all events pine away till he was fit for
nothing. As the Admiral looked at his sturdy figure and rosy cheeks he
burst into a fit of laughter.
"I don't fear any such result even should you meet with a refusal, Tom,"
he observed, wishing to try him a little further.
"Oh, Admiral Triton, you don't think that they would wish