THREE CHEERS FOR THE KING. 255

would have been rather an incumbrance than an advantage.

The next day the King was to prorogue parliament, which ceremony was wisely performed in those days at a much earlier time of the year than at present. Mr. Leslie called in the morning, and took his nephew and young guest down towards Westminster to wait for his approach. True Blue was full of excitement at the thoughts of seeing the King.

be like.

"I wonder what he can

He must be a very grand person, to have so many big ships all of his own," he observed to Mr. Leslie.

"You would find His Majesty a very affable, kind old gentleman if he was to speak to you at any time," said Mr. Leslie. "Here he comes though. You will see him inside the coach. Take off your hat when he passes."

At a slow and stately pace the carriage of the kindhearted Monarch of Great Britain approached. First came the body of Life Guards, their belts well-whitened with pipe clay, and their heads plastered with pomatum and powder; and then followed the royal carriage, as fine as gold and paint and varnish could make it.

"There's King George, Freeborn," said Mr. Leslie, pointing out His Majesty, who sat looking very gracious as he bowed now out of one window, now out of the other.

God bless him then," shouted True Blue, almost beside himself with excitement, throwing up his hat and catching it again. "Three cheers for King George, boys. Three cheers for the King. Let us tell him that his sailors and soldiers are ready to fight for him as long as they have arms to fight with, or a drop of

blood in their veins.

Hurra! hurra! hurra, boys! Hip, hip, hip, hurra!" True Blue's eye had fallen on several other Blue-jackets, who happened to be near him in the crowd, come up to London on a spree to get rid of their prize money. Instantly the shout was taken up by them, and echoed by the rest of the crowd till the air was rent with cries of " Long live the King!· Long live King George! Hurra! hurra! hurra, for King George! Hurra for Old England! Old England, in arms, against the world - Old England for ever!"

Mr. Leslie was highly delighted, and he and his nephew joined in the shout as loudly as any one, while the King, looking from the windows, bowed and smiled even more cordially than before.

Well, I've had a good sight of His Majesty, and I'll not forget his kind face as long as I live," exclaimed True Blue, as the party walked homeward. "It is a pleasure to know the face of the King one is fighting for; and, God bless his Majesty, his kind look would make me more ready than ever to stand up for him.”

All the way home True Blue could talk of nothing but the King, and how glad he was to have seen him. In the evening, however, one of the young ladies began to play a hornpipe, the music of which Sir Henry not without difficulty had procured for her.

True Blue pricked up his ears, and then running to the piano, exclaimed "You play it very well indeed, Miss Julia, that you do; but I wish that you could just hear Sam Smatch with his fiddle,-he'd take the shine out of you, I think you'd say. Howsomedever, my lady, if you and the young ladies, and Sir Henry please, and Miss Julia will just strike up a bit of a tune, I'll

DANCES A HORNPIPE.

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shuffle my feet about and shew you what we call a hornpipe at sea. Sir Henry knows though right well; but, to say truth, I'd rather have the smooth deck under my feet than this grassy sort of stuff, which wants the right sort of spring in it."

"Never mind, Freeborn," said Sir Henry, laughing. "They are not such severe judges as Ogle and Bush, and Marline and our other shipmates."

"To be sure to be sure," said True Blue in a compassionate tone. "Now, Miss Julia, please marm, strike up and off I go."

True Blue did go off indeed, and with the greatest spirit performed a hornpipe which deservedly elicited the admiration of all the spectators. Miss Julia's fingers were tired before his feet, and having made the usual bow round to the company, throwing back his hair, he stood ready to begin again.

The applause which followed having ceased, he laughed, exclaiming-" Oh, it's nothing, ladies, nothing to what I can do, Sir Henry will tell you; but, you see, there's a good deal of difference between the forecastle of a man of war and this here drawing-room in big London City." The tone of his voice shewed, that he gave the preference to the forecastle. That evening, Lady Elmore and her son had a long discussion.

"But are you certain, Henry, that we are doing the best thing for the brave lad?" she said.

"Oh he'll polish; he'll polish rapidly," answered her son. "He has no notion of concealment, or that it is necessary for him to assume shore-going matters, now that he has got over his bashfulness at finding himself among strangers. He says exactly what he thinks and feels. The outside husk is rough enough, I own, but

S

depend on it the jewel within will soon take a polish, which will shine brightly through the shell, and light up the whole form. Not a bad notion for a midshipman,

Mother!"

"Oh you were always poetical and warm-hearted and good and enthusiastic, Henry," said Lady Elmore, pressing him to her heart. "Do as you think best, but I have no doubt our young sailor will turn out a shining character.”

CHAPTER XVII.

True Blue refuses Promotion.

It had been arranged that True Blue should visit Paul Pringle, and his other friends at Emsworth, before returning to his ship. The day for his leaving London was fixed. He had seen all the sights, and been several times to the play, and though he thought it all very amusing, he was, in truth, beginning to get somewhat tired of the sort of life, and of the description of restraint under which he was of necessity placed. As to Lady Elmore and her daughter, he thought them, as he said, next door to angels, and would have gone through fire and water to serve them.

One morning he awoke, just as the footman walked in with a jug of hot water, and leaving it on the washhand-stand, retired without saying a word. Sir Henry had directed that he should be waited on exactly as he was himself. True Blue jumped out of bed; but when he came to put on his clothes, they had disappeared. In their stead there was a midshipman's uniform suit, dirk, and hat, and cockade complete, while a chest stood open, containing shirts, and socks, and shoes, and a quadrant, and books-indeed, a most perfect outfit.

"There's a mistake," he said to himself. "They have been and brought Sir Henry's traps in here, and John has carried off my clothes, and forgot to bring