My father was really very well connected, and when I was a
young man staying with him, I met the daughter of a country gentleman of
property, with whom I fell in love, and she had no objection to me. Her
parents, however, would not hear of the match, and I was sent off to
sea. Though only a warrant officer, I always liked good society when I
could enter it, and on one occasion some few years back, having gone for
that purpose to Bath, I was introduced to a lady who was, I was
informed, the Baroness Strogonoff. Before long I discovered that she
was the widow of a Russian baron, and that she was no other than my old
flame. I found that she had always felt an interest for me, and in fact
that she would have married me had she been allowed. I naturally asked
her if she would now, and she said Yes. I told her that I was now in
the navy, and an officer, and though this was true, I felt that I
committed a great fault in not telling her that I was only a warrant
officer. I was flush of prize-money at the time, and could make a very
good appearance, which, as you may suppose, I did not fail to do. The
result was that all her old affection for me returned, and that, to cut
the matter short, we married.

"Here was I, a poor boatswain, the husband of a rich baroness, she of
course, you'll understand, not knowing that I was a poor boatswain, or
rather, what a boatswain is. Now, if there's one thing more than
another sticks in my throat, it is the thought of a man being dependent
on a woman, let her be who she may, for his support, if he can support
himself. Now I had the greatest affection and respect for my wife, but
this feeling always came between me and my happiness. While living with
her I only spent my own prize-money on myself; and though I would gladly
have remained with her, as soon as I was appointed to a ship I resolved
to go to sea. I was not worse off than any post-captain or other
officer in the service in this respect. I told her that duty called me
to sea, and, though evidently with great unwillingness, she would not
stop me in the path of duty. Ah, young gentlemen, my Baroness is a true
woman, and I only wish for her sake that I was a post-captain, and in
the fair way of becoming an admiral. She deserves it, anyhow. I have,
I believe, a distant cousin a baronet, and as I believe that it gives me
some importance in the eyes of her friends, I talk about him
occasionally in their presence. Not that I c