-day."

"Why so, Charlie?"

"Because--because--we came to--that is to say, we want to--"

"Get spliced, Charlie; out with it, man. You keep shuffling about the
edge like a timid boy goin' to dive into deep water for the first time."

"Well, and so it _is_ deep water," replied Charlie; "so deep that we
can't fathom it easily; and this _is_ the first time too."

"The fact is, you've come to tell me," said Adams, looking at Charlie,
"that you want to marry Otaheitan Sally, and that Dan there wants to
marry Sarah Quintal. Is it not so?"

"I think, father, you must be a wizard," said Dan, with a surprised
look. "How did you come to guess it?"

"I didn't guess it, lad; I saw it as plain as the nose on your own face.
Anybody could see it with half an eye. Why, I've seen it for years
past; but that's not the point. The first question is, Are you able to
feed your wives without requirin' them to work too hard in the fields?"

"Yes, father," answered Dan, promptly. "Charlie helped me, and I helped
him, and so we've both got enough of land enclosed and stocked to keep
our--our--wives comfortably," (even Dan looked modest here!) "without
requiring them to work at all, for a long time at least."

"Well. I don't want 'em not to work at all--that's good for neither
man, nor woman, nor beast. Even child'n work hard, poor things, while
playin' at pretendin' to work. However, I'm glad to hear you are ready.
Of course I knew what you were up to all along. Now, you'll want to
borrow a few odds an' ends from the general stock, therefore go an' make
out lists of what you require, and I'll see about it. Is it long since
you arranged it wi' the girls?"

"About half-an-hour," returned Dan.

"H'm! sharp practice. You'll be the better of meditation for a week or
two. Now, get along with you, lads, and think of the word I have given
you from God's book about marriage. I'll not keep you waitin' longer
than I think right."

So Dan and Charlie left the presence-chamber of their nautical ruler,
quite content to wait for a couple of weeks, having plenty to keep them
employed, body and mind, in labouring in their gardens, perfecting the
arrangements of their respective cottages, and making out lists of the
various things they required to borrow. In all of which operations they
were lovingly assisted by their intended wives, with a matter-of-fact
gravity that would have been quite touching if it had not been half
ridiculous.