her and mother were Protestants."

"That is so."

"We have a right then to assume, as I put it to her in talking the
matter over last night, that were they living they would still be
Protestants and would wish their child to remain in our Church. She
herself has not the slightest leaning towards Roman Catholicism.
Undoubtedly her aunt's conduct is without justification. She was to be
rescued, as I understood from your letter from a species of persuasion
which a girl of her years and temperament might not long be able to
resist. The remedy lay in this elopement. I am sorry to have to say
it; but the case is altogether a peculiar one; and I, Herbert, speaking
as a clergyman, cannot find it in me to pronounce against you both."

"If an elopement had made a Roman Catholic of her, her aunt would have
been willing," said I.

"No doubt, no doubt. Here," said he, putting the reins into my hands,
"hold these for a moment or two, Herbert. You recollect that yesterday
I pooh-poohed your opinion that a marriage at sea may be a lawful
ceremony?"

He pulled out a pocket-book and searched it whilst he continued to talk.

"My wife's uncle was old Admiral Clements, and at his death a number of
his books came to us. We were talking last evening about the marriage
on board the _Carthusian_, when Sophie suddenly exclaimed, 'Frank, I
believe I know where the record of a marriage at sea is to be found.'
She sat pondering and puzzling awhile, then stepped to the bookcase and
exclaimed, 'This will be it, I am sure.' She pulled out a volume of
memoirs of Admiral Markham, and after hunting through it, read what I
have here copied for your special behoof, Herbert. 'Bessie was
Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the Dean of York, the Archbishop's third
son. She was born August 28th, 1790. Josephine was the French young
lady adopted by the Archbishop's family. Both girls were then
seventeen and devotedly attached to each other. After the Archbishop's
death they were not parted but lived with his widow. On August 30th,
1815, Bessie was married to a crusty old general named Rufane Donkin
and was to go out to India with him. But she could not bear to be
separated from her friend, so it was arranged that Josephine should
accompany her. General Donkin was of a very jealous disposition and
could not endure his wife liking anything or anybody but himself. On
board the ship he began to treat her young friend with discourtesy, and
at last