usual way," remarked the other.

"I never said October," interrupted the trembling mariner.

"There's his memory again," said Mrs. Banks, in a low voice.

"Poor dear," sighed the other.

"We'll look after your interests," said Mrs. Banks, with a benevolent
smile. "Don't you remember meeting me by the church the other night and
telling me that you were going to marry Mrs. Church in October?"

"No," bawled the affrighted man.

"Clean gone," said Mrs. Church, shaking her head; "it's no use."

"Not a bit," said Mrs. Banks.

"October seems rather early," said Mrs. Church, "especially as he is in
mourning for his nephew.

"There's no reason for waiting," said Mrs. Banks, decidedly. "I daresay
it's his loneliness that makes him want to hurry it. After all, he ought
to know what he wants."

"I never said a word about it," interposed Captain Barber, in a loud
voice.

"All right," said Mrs. Banks, indulgently. "What are you going to wear,
my dear?" she added, turning to the housekeeper.

Mrs. Church seemed undecided, and Captain Barber, wiping the moisture
from his brow, listened as one in a dream to a long discussion on the
possibilities of her wardrobe. Thrice he interrupted, and thrice the
ladies, suspending their conversation for a moment, eyed him with tender
pity before resuming it.

"Me and Frank thought of October," said Elizabeth, speaking for the
first time. She looked at Captain Barber, and then at her mother. It was
the look of one offering to sell a casting vote.

"October's early," said the old lady, bridling.

Mrs. Church looked up at her, and then modestly looked down again. "Why
not a double wedding?" she asked, gently.

Captain Barber's voice was drowned in acclamations. Elizabeth kissed
Mrs. Church, and then began to discuss her own wardrobe. The owner of
the house, the owner of the very chairs on which they were sitting,
endeavoured in vain to stop them on a point of order, and discovered
to his mortification that a man without a memory is a man without
influence. In twenty minutes it was all settled, and even an approximate
date fixed. There was a slight movement on the part of Elizabeth to
obtain Captain Barber's opinion upon that, but being reminded by her
mother that he would forget all about it in half an hour's time, she
settled it without him.

"I'm so sorry about your memory, Captain Barber," said Mrs. Banks, as
she prepared to depart. "I can understand what a loss it is. My memory