ch hour the stewards arrived with wine and grog and biscuits;
whereupon the passengers put away their books and chess boards and
gathered about the table, effectually ending our _tete-a-tete_. Then
Mrs. Barstow arrived, followed by Miss Moggadore. I took the former
lady aside, leaving Grace in charge of the acidulated gentlewoman with
the curls.

"Miss Bellassys tells me," said I, "that you have warmly counselled her
to allow Captain Parsons to marry us. You are very good. You could
not do us a greater service than by giving such advice. She has
consented, asking only that the ceremony shall be privately performed
in the captain's cabin."

"She is very young," replied Mrs. Barstow, "too young I fear to realise
her position. I am a mother, Mr. Barclay, and my sympathies are
entirely with your charming sweetheart. Under such conditions as we
find her in we must all wish to see her married. Were her mother
living, I am sure that would be her desire."

"Were her mother living," said I, "there would have been no elopement."

She inclined her head with a cordial gesture.

"Miss Bellassys," said she, "has been very candid. As a mother myself,
I must blame her; but as a woman--" she shook her head smiling.

"We are fortunate indeed," I exclaimed, "in falling into the hands of
people so sympathetic and upright as yourself, and Captain Parsons. I
only wish that I could thoroughly persuade myself that a marriage
performed by a shipmaster is legal."

"Oh, I think you may--I am sure you may. But your first step, Mr.
Barclay, when you get ashore, must be to get your cousin to re-marry
you."

"Undoubtedly," I cried, "nor could I consider Grace my wife until that
happened, though I suppose we shall still have to wait--for that second
marriage, I mean--for the aunt's consent."

"You need not fear," she exclaimed, "the marriage to-morrow will gain
her consent."

We stood apart conversing for some time, and were then interrupted by
the head-steward, who came to tell me that by orders of the captain I
was to sleep in a berth occupied by one of the passengers, a Mr. Tooth.
I went to inspect this berth and was very well pleased to find a clean
and comfortable bed prepared. Mr. Tooth accompanied me, and pointing
to his razors and hair-brushes, begged me to make use of every thing
that he had. He had a great quantity of under-linen he told me, enough
to last the pair of us the whole round voyage, and his coats and
tro