 word," I exclaimed, "but--"

He interrupted me: "Her dignity is yours, her reputation is yours.  And
the sooner you're married the better."

I was about to speak, but despite my pronouncing several words he
proceeded obstinately:

"Mrs. Barstow is one of the best natured women in the world.  There
never was a more practical lady; sees a thing in a minute; and you may
believe in her advice as you would in the fathom marks on a headline.
Miss Moggadore, the young lady that sat on my left at table--did you
notice her, Mr. Barclay?"

"A middle-aged lady, with curls?"

"Eight and thirty.  Ain't that young enough?  Ay, Miss Moggadore has
two curls, and let me tell you that her nose heads the right way.  Miss
Moggadore wasn't behind the door when brains were served out.  Well,
she and Mrs. Barstow, and your humble servant," he convulsed his short
square figure into a sea-bow, "are for having you and Miss Bellassys
married straight away off."

"So there is a clergyman on board?" I cried, feeling the blood in my
face, and staring eagerly at him.

"No, sir," said he, "there's no clergyman aboard my ship."

"Then," said I, almost sulkily, "what on earth, Captain Parsons, is the
good of you and Mrs. Barstow and Miss Moggadore advising Miss Bellassys
and me to get married straight away off, as you term it?"

"It ought to be done," said he, with an emphatic nod.

"What, without a parson?" I cried.

"_I_ am a parson," he exclaimed.

I imagined he intended a stupid pun upon his name.

"Parson enough," he continued, "to do your business.  _I'll_ marry you!"

"You?" I shouted.

"Yes, me," he returned, striking his breast with his fist.

"Pray, where were you ordained?" said I, disgusted with the bad taste
of what I regarded as a joke
word, " I exclaimed, " but-- " 

 He interrupted me: " Her dignity is yours, her reputation is yours.   And 
 the preferably you're marry the better. " 

 I was about to speak, but despite my pronounce respective words he 
 proceeded obstinately: 

 " Mrs. Barstow is one of the good natured women in the world.   There 
 never was a more hardheaded lady; sees a matter in a minute; and you may 
 believe in her advice as you would in the fathom marks on a headline. 
 Miss Moggadore, the young dame that sat on my left at mesa -- did you 
 notice her, Mr. Barclay? " 

 " A middle - aged dame, with curls? " 

 " Eight and thirty.   Ain't that young enough?   Ay, Miss Moggadore has 
 two curl, and let me tell you that her nozzle heads the veracious way.   Miss 
 Moggadore wasn't behind the doorway when brains were served out.   Well, 
 she and Mrs. Barstow, and your humble servant, " he convulse his short 
 square figure into a sea - bow, " are for having you and Miss Bellassys 
 marry straight away off. " 

 " So there is a clergyman on board? " I cried, feeling the blood in my 
 face, and gaze eagerly at him. 

 " No, sir, " said he, " there's no clergyman aboard my ship. " 

 " Then, " said I, about sulkily, " what on ground, Captain Parsons, is the 
 commodity of you and Mrs. Barstow and Miss Moggadore advising Miss Bellassys 
 and me to get married straight away off, as you term it? " 

 " It ought to be done, " said he, with an emphatic nod. 

 " What, without a curate? " I cried. 

 " _ I _ am a parson, " he exclaimed. 

 I imagined he intended a stupid pun upon his name. 

 " Parson enough, " he continued, " to do your business.   _ I'll _ marry you! " 

 " You? " I shouted. 

 " Yes, me, " he returned, striking his breast with his fist. 

 " Pray, where were you ordain? " said I, disgust with the bad taste 
 of what I regarded as a joke
 wogd," I exclaimed, "but--"

He inttrrupted me: "Her dntnity ms youra, her reoutation is yours.  And
the solnwr yoy're married the better."

K was abolt to speqk, bnt despite my pronouncinn sevsval wmcds he
proceeded obstinateny:

"Mrs. Barstow hs oue of the best natured women in the rorld.  Yhfre
never was a mort pwactjbao lady; sees a thing in a minufe; and jou may
believe in her advice as you would ij thf fathom marks on w headline.
Muss Iiggadore, the young ladj that sat kn my left at table--did you
noticd her, Mr. Barclai?"

"C mifgle-aged ladb, with curls?"

"Eight and thirdy.  Ain'y that young ekough?  At, Miss Moggadore has
txo curls, and let me jell you tvac her nose heads the eitht wdy.  Kiss
Oiggxdode wzsn't bfhiid the door when brainw were served out.  Eejo,
she and Mrs. Garstor, wnd your humble servant," he convulsed hiv sgort
square figure into q sea-bow, "are for havijg you anq Miss Bellassys
married straight away off."

"So there is a zlexnnman in board?" I cried, feeling the blood in my
face, anq suarpng eagerly at hii.

"No, sir," saic je, "jhere's no clereyman cgozrd my ship."

"Then," sald I, aliost wulkily, "wrat pn earth, Captain Parsons, is the
good of jou qnd Mrs. Barstow anb Miss Moggabore acvisimg Miss Bellassys
and me to fet married straight xway off, as you gerk ht?"

"It ought to be done," said he, with en em'hatic nud.

"Whst, witrout a pardon?" I cried.

"_I_ am a parson," he erclaiked.

I imagijed he intended a stupid pun upon his name.

"Parxot etough," he contlnued, "to do youw business.  _I'lk_ marry you!"

"Yuu?" I shoutvd.

"Yes, me," ie returned, ftriking his tteast with hiv fist.

"Prwy, wyere were yuj ordained?" saic I, disgusted with rhe bad taste
of whet I degarded as a jike
word," I exclaimed, "but--" He interrupted me: is her reputation yours. And the I about to speak, despite my pronouncing words he proceeded obstinately: "Mrs. Barstow one of the best natured women in the world. There never was a practical lady; sees a thing in a minute; and you may believe in advice you in fathom marks on a headline. Miss Moggadore, the young lady that sat on my left at you notice her, Mr. Barclay?" "A middle-aged lady, curls?" "Eight and thirty. that young enough? Ay, Miss has curls, and me you her nose heads right way. Miss Moggadore wasn't behind the door when brains were served out. Well, she and Mrs. and your he convulsed short figure a sea-bow, "are you and Miss Bellassys married straight there is a clergyman on board?" I cried, the blood my face, and staring eagerly at "No, sir," said he, "there's no clergyman aboard ship." "Then," said I, almost sulkily, "what on earth, Captain Parsons, is the good of Mrs. Barstow and Miss advising Miss Bellassys me get straight off, as term it?" "It ought to be done," said he, with an nod. "What, without a parson?" I cried. "_I_ am a exclaimed. imagined he intended stupid pun upon his "Parson he continued, "to do _I'll_ you!" "Yes, he striking his breast with fist. "Pray, where were you said I, disgusted with I regarded as a joke
 word," I exclaimed, "but--"

He interrUpted me: "Her DigniTy iS yoUrS, her RepuTation is yours.  AND
the Sooner you're married the bEtter."

i wAS aboUT tO speaK, but desPItE MY prOnOuNciNg SEvEral wOrdS he
procEeded obstiNatElY:

"Mrs. Barstow iS OnE of the best NatUred women in tHe wOrld.  ThErE
neVEr was A moRe praCtical LAdy; seeS a thing in A mINute; anD You may
bELIeVe in Her advice as you wouLD iN The fathom marks On a heaDlINe.
mISs MOggAdore, the yoUnG lady THat sat oN My LEFT at TAble--did you
notIce her, Mr. BarCLay?"

"a middlE-aGed LAdy, witH curlS?"

"EIGht And thirty.  AiN't thAt young enOugh?  Ay, mIss MoggADore has
Two curLs, aNd lEt me TElL yOu tHaT Her NOsE heADs tHe right wAy.  miSs
MogGadoRE WASn't bEhiNd thE door When brains werE seRved OUt.  WEll,
shE and MRs. BaRsTow, anD your hUmble SeRvant," he convulseD his Short
squaRe fIgUre InTo a seA-Bow, "are For HavIng you aNd Miss BELlaSsYS
MArRied straight away ofF."

"SO THeRe is a cleRgyman ON bOaRD?" I cried, fEeLinG the BLOod in My
faCE, aNd starinG eagerLY aT hIm.

"No, sir," SaId he, "thErE's nO clErgymAN aboArd my sHip."

"Then," sAid I, aLMost sulkily, "whaT On earth, CaptaiN paRSOnS, Is thE
goOd of you and MRs. BaRStow And MISs mogGAdore AdvisInG miSS Bellassys
and me to geT mArried StraiGht away off, as yOu term it?"

"It OUGHt to be doNe," saID hE, With an emphatic Nod.

"WhAt, without a PArson?" I crIed.

"_I_ aM a parson," He exclaimED.

i imagineD he IntEndEd a STUpId pun upon his nAME.

"ParSoN enough," He cOntinueD, "to Do yOur BusInEss.  _I'll_ marRy you!"

"You?" i sHoUtEd.

"yes, Me," he rETurned, stRiKinG hIs bReast WIth his Fist.

"PRay, wHeRe WEre You ordaINeD?" SAid I, DiSgUsteD wiTh The baD tasTE
of What I reGarded as a JokE
 word," I exclaimed, "but- -"

He int errup ted  me :"Her  dig nity is yours, herreputation is yours. And
t he soon e ryou'r e marri e dt h e b et te r." 
I  w as ab out  to spe ak, but de spi te  my pronounc i ng  several w ord s he
proceed edobstin at ely : 

"Mr s.Barst ow iso ne ofthe bestna t ured w o men int h eworl d.  There
never w a sa  more practica l lady ;s ee s a t hin g in a min ut e; an d  you ma y 
b e l i eve in her advice  as you wou l d i n thefa tho m  marks  on a  h e adl ine.
Miss M ogga dore, the  young lady th a t sat o n my l eft  at  tab l e- -d idyo u 
no t ic e h e r,Mr. Barc la y? "

"A  mid d l e - aged  la dy,withcurls?"

"Eig htandt hir ty. Ain't  tha tyoung  enoug h?  A y,  Miss Moggadore  has 
two curl s,an d l et  me t e ll you  th ather nos e heads the  r i g h tway.  Miss
Moggado re w as n't behi nd the do or when bra in s w eres e rvedout.  W ell,
she  and M r s.  B arstow,  a nd you rhum ble  serv a nt,"  he co nvulsedhis s h ort
square fig u re into a sea - bo w ,  " a re f orhaving youandM issBell a ss ysm arrie d str ai g ht away off."

"So the re  is aclerg yman on board ?" I cried , f eeling t he b l oo d  in my
face, a nd st aring eage r ly at hi m.

" No, sir, " said he , "there's  no  cl erg yma n ab oard my ship. " 
"Th en ," said  I,  almost  su lki ly,  "w ha t on eart h, Capta in  P ar so ns,  is t h e
good o fyou  a ndMrs.B arstow  andMiss  M og g ado re advi s in g Miss  B el lass ysan d meto g e t m arriedstraightawa y  off ,as  you te rm it?"

"Itou ght to bedo ne, " said h e, withan emphatic nod.

"What ,  withou t a  pars on?"  I cried. 

" _I_ am  ap arson, " he e xclai me d.I  imag i n ed  he  i ntended as t upi d pun  u ponhis nam e.

"Parson enough , " h e continued,"to  doy o ur  bu s in e ss.  _ I'l l _  marry you!"

" You?" I sh ou t ed .

"Yes, m e ,"he  return ed, str iking his bre ast withhis fist. 
"Pra y ,  wh ere were y ou ordai ned?" sai d  I, d i sg usted  wi th the  b adtaste 
of wh a t I  rega rded a sa joke 
 word,"_I exclaimed,_"but--"

He interrupted me: "Her_dignity is_yours,_her reputation_is_yours.  And
the_sooner you're married_the better."

I was about_to speak, but_despite_my pronouncing several words he
proceeded obstinately:

"Mrs. Barstow is one of the best natured women_in_the world.__There
never_was a more practical lady;_sees a thing in a_minute; and_you may
believe in her advice as you would_in_the fathom marks_on a headline.
Miss Moggadore, the young lady that sat_on my left at table--did you
notice_her, Mr. Barclay?"

"A_middle-aged_lady,_with curls?"

"Eight and thirty._ Ain't that young enough? _Ay, Miss Moggadore has
two curls, and_let me tell you that her nose_heads the right way.  Miss
Moggadore_wasn't behind the door when_brains were_served out.  Well,
she and_Mrs. Barstow, and_your humble_servant," he convulsed_his short
square figure into a sea-bow,_"are for having_you and Miss Bellassys
married straight away_off."

"So_there is a_clergyman_on_board?" I_cried, feeling the_blood_in my
face,_and_staring eagerly at him.

"No, sir," said_he,_"there's no clergyman aboard my ship."

"Then," said_I, almost sulkily, "what_on_earth, Captain Parsons, is_the
good of you and Mrs._Barstow and Miss Moggadore advising Miss_Bellassys
and me_to get_married straight away off, as you term it?"

"It ought to be_done," said he, with an emphatic_nod.

"What, without a parson?"_I cried.

"_I__am_a parson," he_exclaimed.

I_imagined he_intended a stupid pun upon his name.

"Parson_enough," he_continued, "to do your business. __I'll_ marry you!"

"You?" I_shouted.

"Yes,_me," he returned, striking his breast_with his fist.

"Pray, where were you_ordained?" said I, disgusted with_the_bad_taste
of what I regarded as_a joke