Bunker and the night watchman, staggering under a load of
luggage, slowly made their way on to the jetty. The barge, for such
was the craft in question, was almost level with the planks, while the
figures of two men darted to and fro in all the bustle of getting under
way.

"Bill," said the watchman, addressing the mate, "bear a hand with this
box, and be careful, it's got the wedding clothes inside."

The watchman was so particularly pleased with this little joke that in
place of giving the box to Bill he put it down and sat on it, shaking
convulsively with his hand over his mouth, while the blushing Matilda
and the discomfited captain strove in vain to appear unconcerned.

The packages were rather a tight squeeze for the cabin, but they managed
to get them in, and the skipper, with a threatening look at his mate,
who was exchanging glances of exquisite humour with the watchman, gave
his hand to Mrs. Bunker and helped her aboard.

"Welcome on the Sir Edmund Lyons, Mrs. Bunker," said he. "Bill, kick
that dawg back."

"Stop!" said Mrs. Bunker hastily, "that's my chapperong."

"Your what?" said the skipper. "It's a dawg, Mrs. Bunker, an' I won't
have no dawgs aboard my craft."

"Bill," said Mrs. Bunker, "fetch my box up again."

"Leastways," the captain hastened to add, "unless it's any friend of
yours, Mrs. Bunker."

"It's chaperoning me," said Matilda; "it wouldn't be proper for a lady
to go a v'y'ge with two men without somebody to look after her."

"That's right, Sam," said the watchman sententiously. "You ought to know
that at your age."

"Why, we're looking after her," said the simple-minded captain. "Me an'
Bill."

"Take care Bill don't cut you out," said the watchman in a hoarse
whisper, distinctly audible to all. "He's younger nor what you are,
Sam, an' the wimmen are just crazy arter young men. 'Sides which, he's a
finer man altogether. An' you've had ONE wife a'ready, Sam."

"Cast off!" said the skipper impatiently. "Cast off! Stand by there,
Bill!"

"Ay, ay!" said Bill, seizing a boat-hook, and the lines fell into the
water with a splash as the barge was pushed out into the tide.

Mrs. Bunker experienced the usual trouble of landsmen aboard ship, and
felt herself terribly in the way as the skipper divided his attentions
between the tiller and helping Bill with the sail. Meantime the barge
had bothered most of the traffic by laying across the river, and when
the sail was hoisted had got under