The difficulties about supplies and the condition of his ships have been mentioned, as have also his fears for Naples, Sicily, and the Morea,--all of which, in his belief, might possibly be conquered, even without the interposition of the Toulon fleet.

The latter, however, kept him most uneasy; for he could get no certain knowledge as to its destination, or the probable time of its moving; and the wide field for injury open to it, if his vigilance were eluded, kept his eager, unquiet mind continually on the strain of speculation and anticipation.

"I hope they will come out and let us settle the matter.

You know I hate being kept in suspense." The nervous excitability--irritability--that often overlay the usually cordial kindliness and gracious bearing of the man, was an easy prey to such harassment.

It breaks out at times in his letters, but was only occasionally visible to those around him.