, yes, my own--certainly, whilst you are here.  What would Captain
Parsons say?--what would everybody think if you removed it?"

"But I am not your wife!" she exclaimed with a pout, softly beating the
deck with her foot, "and this ring is unreal--it signifies nothing--"

I interrupted her.  "I am not so sure that you are not my wife," said
I.  She shot a look at me out of her eyes, which were large with alarm
and confusion.  "At all events, I believe I am your husband, and
surely, my precious, you must hope that I am.  But whether or not, pray
go on wearing that ring.  You can pull it off when we get to Penzance,
and I will slip it on again when we stand before my cousin."

"It has been a dreadful adventure," said she.

"More memorable than dreadful," I answered, putting her hand under my
arm and stepping with her over to where the second mate was
standing--the young fellow who had brought us aboard out of the yacht.
He touched his cap very civilly, whilst the skin of his face shrunk
into a thousand wrinkles to the grin he put on.

"Surely something will be coming into view soon?" said I.

"Oh, I think so, sir," he answered.

"What is this rate of sailing?"

"About nine knots, sir."

"There it is!" cried I, "and every hour brings New Zealand nearer and
makes England more distant."

"Do not talk of New Zealand," exclaimed Grace.  "What sort of ships are
to be met here?" she added, addressing the second mate.

"All sorts, Miss--, I beg your pardon, I mean ma'am," he answered;
"ocean tramps in the main, but a mail liner here and there."

"What are your instructions?" I began, but at that instant I caught
sight of old Parsons rising through the hatch with a sextant in his
hand.  "Oh, here is the captain coming to take sights," said I; "we
must arrive at an understanding with him.  I believe he would like to
keep us on board as an inducement to others to get married."


, yes, my own -- certainly, whilst you are here.   What would Captain 
 Parsons say?--what would everybody think if you removed it? " 

 " But I am not your wife! " she exclaimed with a eelpout, lightly beating the 
 deck with her foot, " and this closed chain is unreal -- it signifies nothing-- " 

 I interrupt her.   " I am not indeed sure that you are not my wife, " say 
 I.   She shot a look at me out of her center, which were large with alarm 
 and confusion.   " At all event, I think I am your husband, and 
 surely, my precious, you must hope that I am.   But whether or not, pray 
 go on wear that ring.   You can pull it off when we catch to Penzance, 
 and I will slip it on again when we stand before my cousin. " 

 " It has been a atrocious adventure, " said she. 

 " More memorable than dreadful, " I answered, putting her hired hand under my 
 arm and stepping with her over to where the second mate was 
 standing -- the young companion who had brought us aboard out of the yacht. 
 He touched his cap very civilly, whilst the skin of his face shrunk 
 into a thousand wrinkle to the grin he put on. 

 " Surely something will be coming into view soon? " said I. 

 " Oh, I think so, sir, " he answered. 

 " What is this rate of sailing? " 

 " approximately nine knot, sir. " 

 " There it is! " cried I, " and every hour lend New Zealand nearer and 
 construct England more distant. " 

 " Do not talk of New Zealand, " exclaimed Grace.   " What sort of ships are 
 to be met here? " she added, addressing the second match. 

 " All sorts, Miss--, I beg your pardon, I mean ma'am, " he answered; 
 " ocean hike in the main, but a mail liner here and there. " 

 " What are your instructions? " I begin, but at that blink of an eye I caught 
 sight of old Parsons rising through the hatch with a sextant in his 
 hand.   " Oh, here is the master coming to take sights, " said I; " we 
 must arrive at an understanding with him.   I believe he would like to 
 keep us on board as an incentive to others to get married. "
, yed, my own--certainly, whilst you are here.  Cyat wonld Capfain
Parsuns say?--what would everybody vhinj if tou removed it?"

"But I am not your wife!" shw exrlaimed with a pout, softly beaflng tke
veck with her fpot, "and thhs ring is unraau--ic signifies nothing--"

I interrupted her.  "I am moh so sure that you wre hot my wife," said
I.  She shot a look at me mut of her eyrs, which were large with aparm
wnd confusion.  "At wll events, U bejueve I am yojr husband, and
surely, mi precious, you must hope that I xm.  Bbt whether ir noh, pray
go on xearind that ring.  You can pull iy off when we net tm Pwnzance,
and I will sli' it on again when wg stand bexoxe my cousin."

"It has bewn a drgadfun adxwntjre," seid she.

"Moge jemorable fhan dreadfyl," I answered, puttimg yer hand unded my
ari wnd stepping with her over to where the sedond mate was
standing--thw young fellow who haf brought us aboard out of the yacht.
He touched his cap verf civmluy, cmllst rhf skin of his face shrunk
into a thousand wrinhmex no the grin he pub on.

"Surely somethimg wojl be coming knto vnsw soon?" said I.

"Oh, I tjink so, sir," ye answertd.

"Whay is this rate of sailing?"

"Abiut nine knons, sur."

"There it is!" crieb I, "and everv hour brinbs New Zealand nearer aud
makea England mlre distahg."

"Do not talk of Vew Zaaland," exclaimed Grace.  "Whwt sort oh shi's are
to be ket hewe?" she addfd, addressing the second mate.

"Cll smrts, Miss--, L beg your pardon, I mean ma'am," hx answered;
"ocesn trdmps in che maln, but a mail lyner here and jhere."

"What are hour instrlctions?" I began, but wt that instatj I caught
sigit of old Parwons rising ghrough the haych with c sexrant in his
hand.  "Om, herg js the captain euning to take sibhtr," swif M; "we
mtvt arrive at an jnddtstanaing wiuk hlm.  I brlieve he would like to
ksep us on board as ak inducemgnt to otrers to get msrried."


, yes, my own--certainly, whilst you are would Parsons say?--what everybody think if am your wife!" she with a pout, beating the deck with her foot, this ring is unreal--it signifies nothing--" I interrupted her. "I am not so that you are not my wife," said I. She shot a look at out her which large with alarm and confusion. "At all events, I believe I am your husband, and surely, precious, you must hope that I am. But or not, pray go wearing that ring. You can it when we to and will slip it again when we stand before my cousin." "It has been a dreadful adventure," said she. "More memorable dreadful," I her hand my and with her over the second mate was standing--the young brought us aboard out of the yacht. He his cap civilly, whilst the skin of his shrunk into a thousand wrinkles to the grin put on. "Surely something will be coming into view soon?" said I. "Oh, I think he answered. "What is rate of sailing?" nine sir." it cried I, every hour brings New Zealand nearer and makes England more distant." not talk of New Zealand," exclaimed Grace. "What sort of to met here?" she addressing the second mate. sorts, I beg your pardon, ma'am," answered; the but mail liner here and "What are your instructions?" I but at that instant Parsons rising through the hatch with a sextant his hand. "Oh, here is the captain to take sights," said I; "we must arrive at an understanding with I believe like to keep us on board as an to others to get
, yes, my own--certainly, whilst yoU are here.  WhAt wouLd CAptAiN
ParSons Say?--what would evERyboDy think if you removed it?"

"BUt I am NoT Your WIfE!" she eXclaimeD WiTH A poUt, SoFtlY bEAtIng thE
deCk with hEr foot, "and tHis RiNg is unreal--it SIgNifies nothIng--"

i interrupted Her.  "i am not So SurE That yOu aRe not My wife," SAid
I.  ShE shot a looK aT Me out oF Her eyes, WHIcH werE large with alarm
anD CoNFusion.  "At all eveNts, I beLiEVe i AM yoUr hUsband, and
sUrEly, my PRecious, YOu MUST hoPE that I am.  But whEther or not, pRAy
gO on weaRiNg tHAt ring.  you caN pULl iT off when we gEt to penzance,
aNd I wilL Slip it oN Again whEn we stAnd BefOre mY CoUsIn."

"IT hAS beEN a DreADfuL adventuRe," SaId she.

"more MEMORablE thAn drEadfuL," I answered, putTinG her HAnd Under My
arm And sTePping With heR over To Where the second mAte wAs
standinG--thE yOunG fEllow WHo had bRouGht Us aboarD out of tHE yaChT.
hE ToUched his cap very civIlLY, WhIlst the sKin of hIS fAcE Shrunk
inTo A thOusaND WrinkLes tO ThE grin he pUt on.

"SuRElY sOmethinG wIll be cOmIng IntO view SOon?" sAid I.

"Oh, i think so, Sir," he ANswered.

"What is tHIs rate of sailiNG?"

"ABOUt NIne kNotS, sir."

"There it Is!" crIEd I, "aNd evERy HouR BringS New ZEaLAnD Nearer and
makes EnglaNd More diStant."

"do not talk of NeW Zealand," exCLAImed GracE.  "WhaT SoRT of ships are
to bE met hEre?" she addeD, AddressiNg the Second maTe.

"All sortS, mIss--, I beg yOur ParDon, i meAN Ma'Am," he answered;
"oCEAn trAmPs in the MaiN, but a maIl lIneR heRe aNd There."

"What Are your iNsTrUcTiOns?" i begaN, But at thaT iNstAnT I cAught
SIght of Old PaRsonS rIsINg tHrough tHE hATCh wiTh A sExtaNt iN hIs
hanD.  "Oh, hERe iS the capTain cominG to TAke sIgHtS," said I; "wE
must arrive at An UnderstandInG wiTh him.  I BELieve he wOuld like to
keep us on board AS an induCemEnt to OtheRs to get maRriEd."


, yes, my own--certainly,whilst you  areher e. W hatwoul d Captain
Pars o ns s ay?--what would everyb ody t hi n k if yo u rem oved it ? "" But  I  a m n ot yo ur wi fe! " she e xclaimed w ith  a  pout, softl y  b eating the 
de ck with herfoo t, "an dthi s  ring  is  unre al--it signif ies nothi ng - -"

Ii nterrup t e dher.   "I am not so su r et hat you are no t my w if e ," s aid 
I.   She shot  a  look at me o u to f her eyes, which w ere large w i thalarman d c o nfusio n.  " At all  events, Ibeli eve I amyour h u sband,a nd
sure ly, my  pr eci ous, yo umus th ope th atI  am .  But w he th er or  not , p r ay
g o o n we aring  that ring. You  can pul l itoff w henwe  getto Pen zance ,and I will slip  iton againwhe nwest and b e fore m y c ous in."

" It hasb een  a d r ea dful adventure," s ai d sh e.

"Mor e memo r ab le than dre ad ful ," I a nswer ed,p ut ting her  handu nd er  my
arm  a nd ste pp ing  wi th he r  ove r to w here the  seco n d mate was
sta n ding--the you n gf e ll o w wh o h ad broughtus a b oard  out of  th e  yach t.
He  t o uc h ed his cap very civ il ly, wh ilstthe skin of h is face sh r u n k
into a  tho u sa n d wrinkles tothe g rin he put on.

"Su relysomethin g will be c oming in tovie w s oon ? "  s aid I.

"Oh,I thin kso, sir ,"he answ ere d.
"W hat  i s this ra te of sa il in g? "
"A boutn ine knot s,  si r. "
"Ther e  it is !" cr iedI,  " a ndevery h o ur b ring sNe w Ze ala nd  near er a n d
m akes En gland mor e d i stan t. "
"Do no t talk of New  Z ealand," e xc lai med Gr a c e.  "Wha t sort of ships are
tob e met h ere ?" sh e ad ded, addr ess ing th e s e cond m ate.
"Allso rts , Miss- - ,  I  be gyour pardo n ,  Imeanma 'am, " he an swered;
"ocean tra m psin the main,but  a m a i llin e rh ere  a n d t h e re."

"What are  your inst ru c ti ons?" I be g an,  b ut at t hat ins tantI  caught 
sight of  old Pars on s ri s i ngthrough th e hatchwith a se x tanti nhis
h and .  "Oh ,her e isthe ca p tai n com ing to  t ake si ghts, "said I;"we
must arrive at an u nderst andin g w ith him. Ib eli eve he wo uldlike to
ke epuson bo ard as an  ind u ce men t  to o ther s  to get m a rr ied . " 

, yes,_my own--certainly,_whilst you are here._ What_would_Captain
Parsons say?--what_would_everybody think if_you removed it?"

"But_I am not your_wife!" she exclaimed_with_a pout, softly beating the
deck with her foot, "and this ring is unreal--it signifies_nothing--"

I_interrupted her.__"I_am not so sure that_you are not my wife,"_said
I. _She shot a look at me out of_her_eyes, which were_large with alarm
and confusion.  "At all events, I_believe I am your husband, and
surely,_my precious, you_must_hope_that I am. _But whether or not, pray
go on_wearing that ring.  You can_pull it off when we get to_Penzance,
and I will slip it on_again when we stand before_my cousin."

"It_has been a dreadful adventure,"_said she.

"More memorable_than dreadful,"_I answered, putting_her hand under my
arm and stepping_with her over_to where the second mate was
standing--the_young_fellow who had_brought_us_aboard out_of the yacht.
He_touched_his cap_very_civilly, whilst the skin of his_face_shrunk
into a thousand wrinkles to the grin_he put on.

"Surely something_will_be coming into view_soon?" said I.

"Oh, I think_so, sir," he answered.

"What is this_rate of_sailing?"

"About nine_knots, sir."

"There it is!" cried I, "and every hour brings New_Zealand nearer and
makes England more distant."

"Do_not talk of New_Zealand," exclaimed_Grace._ "What sort_of_ships are
to_be met here?" she added, addressing the_second mate.

"All_sorts, Miss--, I beg your pardon,_I mean ma'am," he_answered;
"ocean_tramps in the main, but a_mail liner here and there."

"What are_your instructions?" I began, but_at_that_instant I caught
sight of old_Parsons rising through the hatch with_a sextant in_his
hand.  "Oh, here is the captain_coming_to take sights," said I; "we
must_arrive_at an understanding with him. _I_believe_he would like to
keep us_on board as an inducement to_others to get married."

