ome in person, he
was the admiration of all the young women. But Nature, who delights in
a drawback, had contrived to leave him almost without brains; and
further, he was wholly uneducated--for he was too stupid to learn--his
faculties were just sufficient to enable him, by constant drilling, to
be perfect in the manual exercise, and mechanically to perform his
duties as a valet.

Ben always accompanied his master to the hall, where the former was at
one and the same time the admiration and laughter of all the servants.
It hardly need be observed, that the clever and sprightly Miss Arabella
Mason considered Ben as one much beneath her, that is, she said so on
his first arrival at Madeline hall; but, strange to say, that two years
afterwards, just at the time that reports had been raised that she had
been frequently discovered in tears, there was a change in her manner
towards him; indeed some people insinuated that she was setting her cap
at the handsome marine: this idea, it is true, was ridiculed by the
majority; but still the intimacy appeared rapidly to increase. It was
afterwards asserted by those who find out everything after it has taken
place, that Ben would never have ventured to look up to such an unequal
match had he not been prompted to it by his master, who actually
proposed that he should marry the girl. That such was the fact is
undoubted, although they knew it not; and Ben, who considered the wish
of his captain as tantamount to an order, as soon as he could comprehend
what his captain required of him, stood up erect and raised his hand
with a flourish to his head, in token of his obedience. Shortly
afterwards, Captain Delmar again came over to Madeline Hall, accompanied
as usual, by Ben, and the second day after their arrival it was made
known to all whom it might concern, that Miss Arabella Mason had
actually contracted a secret marriage with the handsome Benjamin Keene.

Of course, the last person made acquainted with this interesting
intelligence was the Honourable Miss Delmar, and her nephew took upon
himself to make the communication. At first the honourable spinster
bridled up with indignation, wondered at the girl's indelicacy, and much
more at her demeaning herself by marrying a private marine. Captain
Delmar replied, that it was true that Ben was only a private, but that
every common soldier was a gentleman by profession. It was true that
Bella Mason might have done better--but she was