thing
underhand; above-board, on the quarter-deck, before all the company. I
'll say it of my brother, I can say it of myself. Greg's chances, I need
not remark, are superior to mine; he is always in port. If he wins, then
I tell him--"God bless you, my boy; you've won the finest woman, the
handsomest, and the best, in or out of Christendom!" But my chance is
my property, though it may be value only one farthing coin of the realm,
and there is always pity for poor sinners in the female bosom. Miss
Beltham, I trespass on your kind attention. If I am to remain a bachelor
and you a maiden lady, why, the will of heaven be done! If you marry
another, never mind who the man, there's my stock to the fruit of the
union, never mind what the sex. But, if you will have one so unworthy of
you as me, my hand and heart are at your feet, ma'am, as I have lost no
time in coming to tell you.' So Captain Bulsted concluded. Our eyes were
directed on my aunt. The squire bade her to speak out, for she had his
sanction to act according to her judgement and liking.

She said, with a gracefulness that gave me a little aching of pity for
the poor captain: 'I am deeply honoured by you, Captain Bulsted, but it
is not my intention to marry.'

The captain stood up, and bowing humbly, replied 'I am ever your
servant, ma'am.'

My aunt quitted the room.

'Now for the tankard, Sewis,' said the captain.

Gradually the bottom of the great tankard turned up to the ceiling. He
drank to the last drop in it.

The squire asked him whether he found consolation in that.

The captain sighed prodigiously and said: 'It 's a commencement, sir.'

'Egad, it's a commencement 'd be something like a final end to any dozen
of our fellows round about here. I'll tell you what: if stout stomachs
gained the day in love-affairs, I suspect you'd run a good race against
the male half of our county, William. And a damned good test of a man's
metal, I say it is! What are you going to do to-day?'

'I am going to get drunk, sir.'

'Well, you might do worse. Then, stop here, William, and give my old
Port the preference. No tongue in the morning, I promise you, and
pleasant dreams at night.' The captain thanked him cordially, but
declined, saying that he would rather make a beast of himself in another
place.

The squire vainly pressed his hospitality by assuring him of perfect
secresy on our part, as regarded my aunt, and offering him Sewis and one
of the footmen to lif