By the bye, Captain Keene, have
you heard of the girl since?"

"My dear sir," replied I, glad to give him my confidence, "there are no
secrets between us now; it was no girl, but the son of the captain of
the Dutch frigate, and an officer, whose escape you assisted in."

"I don't wonder, then, at your not making yourself known," replied the
old man. "Why, if I had known it had been an officer, I never would
have had a hand in the job--but a poor girl, it was mere charity to
assist her, and I thought I was acting the part of a Christian, poor
blind sinner that I am."

"You did a kind act, sir, and Heaven will reward you."

"We are sad, wicked creatures, Captain Keene," replied he. "I wish this
day was over, and my poor Jane made happy; and then I should have
nothing to do but to read my Bible, and prepare for being called away;
it's never too soon, depend upon it, sir."

The appearance of the bride with her bridesmaids put an end to our
conversation, which I was not sorry for. The order of march was
arranged, and we started off for the church on foot, making a very long
and very gay procession. In half an hour it was all over, and we
returned. I then had an opportunity of telling Cross what had passed
between me and old Waghorn.

"It was touch and go, sir, that's sartin," replied Bob; "for if the old
gentleman had not been satisfied, he is so obstinate that the match
would have been broken off at the church door. Well, sir, I always said
that you were the best to get out of a scrape that I ever knew when you
were a middy, and you don't appear to have lost the talent; it was well
managed."

"Perhaps so, Bob; but in future I do not intend to get into them, which
will be managing better still." I then left Cross, and went to talk to
Jane, who certainly looked very handsome. The tables for dinner were
laid out in the garden, for it was a beautiful warm autumnal day. We
sat down about twenty, and a merrier party I never was at. Old Waghorn
was the only one who got tipsy on the occasion, and it was very
ridiculous to hear him quoting scraps of Scripture in extenuation, and
then calling himself a poor blind old sinner. It was not till eight
o'clock in the evening that the party broke up, and I had then some
difficulty to persuade some to go away. As for the old man, he had been
put to bed an hour before. I staid a few minutes after all were gone,
and then, kissing Jane, and shaking hands with Bob, I went b