The lieutenants then retired, and Jack was left alone with the captain, who signified that he wished to speak further with him.
"Well, Jack," he said, when they were alone, "I did not think when I offered my uncle to get you a midshipman's berth, that I was going to put you in the way of passing through such a wonderful series of adventures.

They have been sadly cut up at home at the news of your death.

I hope that you wrote to them as soon as you had a chance." "I wrote on the very day I crossed the frontier, sir," Jack said.
"Besides I wrote twice from Russia, but I don't suppose they ever got the letters." "And so you speak Russian fluently now, Jack ?" "I speak it quite well enough to get on with, sir," Jack said.

"You see, I was speaking nothing else for five months.

I expect my grammar is very shaky, as I picked it all up entirely by ear, and no doubt I make awful mistakes, but I can get on fast enough." "I shall report your return to-morrow to the Admiral," Captain Hethcote said.