he way, as
it is to be a private affair, I suppose there is no chance for _me_?"

"The captain is the host," I answered. "He is to play the father. If
he chooses to invite you, by all means be present." As I spoke, the
captain came on deck, turning his head about in manifest search of me.
He gravely beckoned with an air of ceremony, and Mr. Tooth and I went
up to him. He looked at Mr. Tooth, who immediately said:

"Captain, a wedding at sea is good enough to remember; something for a
man to talk about. _Can't_ I be present?" and he dropped his head on
one side with an insinuating smile.

"No, sir," answered Captain Parsons, with true sea grace, and putting
his hand on my arm he carried me right aft. "The hour's at hand," said
he. "Who's to be present, d'ye know? for if it's to be private we
don't want a crowd."

"Mrs. Barstow and Miss Moggadore--nobody else, I believe."

"Better have a couple of men as witnesses. What d'ye say to Mr.
Higginson?"

"Anybody you please, captain."

"And the second?" said he, tilting his hat and thinking. "M'Cosh?
Yes, I don't think we can do better than M'Cosh. A thoughtful
Scotchman with an excellent memory." He pulled out his watch. "Five
minutes to ten. Let us go below," and down we went.

The steward was despatched to bring Mr. Higginson and the chief mate,
Mr. M'Cosh, to the captain's cabin. The saloon was empty; possibly out
of consideration to our feelings the people had gone on deck or
withdrawn to their berths.

"Bless me, I had quite forgotten!" cried Captain Parsons, as he entered
his cabin. "Have you a wedding ring, Mr. Barclay?"

"Oh, yes," I answered, laughing, and pulling out the purse in which I
kept it. "Little use in sailing away with a young lady, Captain
Parsons, to get married, unless you carry the ring with you."

"Glad you have it. We can't be too shipshape. But I presume you
know," said the little fellow, "that any sort of a ring would do, even
a curtain ring. No occasion for the lady to wear what you slip on,
though I believe it's expected she should keep it upon her finger till
the service is over. Let me see now; there's something else I wanted
to say--oh, yes; who's to give the bride away?"

Though I must own to feeling a little nervous, even agitated, yet as he
pronounced these words I could not look down at his upturned face, with
its shining pimple of nose set in the midst of it, and his eyes showing
like glowworms half exti