couldgetawaymyselftoseetheaffair；but，unfortunately，Icannotdoso。However，ifyouliketobepresent，Iwillgiveyouthreedays\'leave，asyouhavebeenworkingveryhardlately。Youcanstartearlyto-morrow，andcangetdownbytraintoNorfolkintheevening。Ishouldadviseyoutotakeyourhorsewithyou，andthenyoucanrideinthemorningtosomespotfromwhichyouwillgetafairviewoftheRoads，andbeabletoseewhatisgoingon。\"
\"Thankyouverymuch，sir，\"Vincentsaid。\"Ishouldlikeitimmensely。\"
ThenextdayVincentwentdowntoNorfolk。Arrivingthere，hefoundthatalthoughtherewasageneralexpectationthattheMerrimacwouldshortlygoouttotryherstrengthwiththeenemy，nothingwasknownofthefactthatthenextmorninghadbeenfixedfortheencounter，thesecretbeingkepttothelastlestsomespyoradherentoftheNorthmighttakethenewstothefleet。
AfterputtinguphishorseVincentwentdowntothenavyyard，offwhichtheMerrimacwaslying。
ThisshiphadbeensunkbytheFederalswhenatthecommencementofhostilitiestheyhadevacuatedNorfolk。HavingbeenraisedbytheConfederates，theshipwascutdown，andasortofroofcoveredwithironwasbuiltoverit，sothatthevesselpresentedtheappearanceofahugesunkenhouse。Aramwasfixedtoherbow，andshewasarmedwithtenguns。Hersteam-powerwasveryinsufficientforhersize，andshecouldonlymovethroughthewaterattherateoffiveknotsanhour。