e young lady, made arrangements to
marry his foster-brother, meaning GLENNEY. This she would have done
most comfortably, had not the Count and a Boat-builder, one JULIAN
CROSS PENNYCAD, objected. But after all, their opposition wouldn't
have come to much hadn't Lieutenant CHARLES WARNER, R.N., taken it
into his head to turn up from the Centre of Africa, or the Cannibal
Islands, or somewhere. On second thoughts I don't think it could have
been the Cannibal Islands, because _there_ they would have certainly
eaten him--he looked so plump, and in such excellent condition. Well,
Lieutenant WARNER, R.N., finding that Miss MILLWARD was on the eve of
marrying Mr. GLENNEY, most nobly made room for his foster-brother, and
hurried back to sea. But as luck (and Mr. HENRY PETTIT) would have it,
just as the lady and gentleman were on their way to Stepney Old Church
to be spliced, who should turn up in a uniform that showed him to be
a fine figure of a man but Lieutenant WARNER, R.N., himself--with
the Press Gang. It turned out that Lieutenant WARNER's ship was very
under-manned, and that he had been ordered by his Captain to get all
the sailors he could on board H.M.S. _Dauntless_--a vessel, by the
way, that afterwards proved to be the very image of the _Victory_.
And here came a complication. Through the treachery of JULIAN CROSS
PENNYCAD, Lieutenant WARNER seized Mr. GLENNEY just as he and Miss
MILLWARD were entering Stepney Old Church. Says Mr. GLENNEY to
Lieutenant WARNER, "What, taking me, because you are jealous of me,
on my wedding-day! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" or words to
that effect. Says Lieutenant WARNER, R.N., to Mr. GLENNEY, "Nothing
of the sort. For the man who would betray another, save in the way of
kindness, on his bridal morn, is unworthy of the name of a British
sailor," or words to _that_ effect. Then Miss MILLWARD chimed in, and
thus touched the heart of Lieutenant WARNER, R.N., so deeply that he
ordered Mr. GLENNEY's immediate release. "I forget my duty," explained
the generous WARNER. "But I don't," put in his superior officer,
Captain WILLIAM LUGG VERNON, "and I order that man to be carried on
board!" and there was not a dry eye amongst those present, except,
perhaps, amongst the heartless "Press Gang," who, having to write
notices for the daily and weekly papers, were naturally eager to see
what "In the Fo'castle" and "The Deck of the _Dauntless_" were like.
And these they did see in the next Act