The baronet, upright as he was in other matters, had no scruples of conscience on this occasion; having long since brought himself over to the belief that it was justifiable to attain ends as great as those he had in view, by the sacrifice of any of the minor moral considerations.
The effect on Bluewater was not trifling.

The devil had placed the bait before his eyes in a most tempting form; for he felt that he had only to hold his division in reserve to render an engagement morally improbable.
Abandon his friend to a superior force he could and would not; but, it is our painful duty to avow that his mind had glimpses of the possibility of doing the adventurer in Scotland a great good, without doing the vice-admiral and the van of the fleet any very essential harm.
Let us be understood, however.

The rear-admiral did not even contemplate treason, or serious defection of any sort; but through one of those avenues of frailty by which men are environed, he had a glance at results that the master-spirit of evil momentarily placed before his mental vision as both great and glorious.
"I wish we were really certain of de Vervillin's object," he said; the only concession he made to this novel feeling, in words.

"It might, indeed, throw a great light on the course we ought to take ourselves.

I do detest this German alliance, and would abandon the service ere I would convoy or transport a ragamuffin of them all to England." Here Sir Reginald proved how truly expert he was in the arts of management.