down into
the saloon, where they found the young lady sitting, the broad light of
the evening shining in through the skylight, and making it all pretty
bright within.

The captain commanded Barnaby to be seated, for he had something of
moment to say to him; whereupon, as soon as Barnaby had taken his
place alongside the young lady, he began very seriously, with a preface
somewhat thus: "Though you may think me the captain of this brigantine,
young gentleman, I am not really so, but am under orders, and so have
only carried out those orders of a superior in all these things that I
have done." Having so begun, he went on to say that there was one thing
yet remaining for him to do, and that the greatest thing of all. He said
that Barnaby and the young lady had not been fetched away from the Belle
Helen as they were by any mere chance of accident, but that 'twas all a
plan laid by a head wiser than his, and carried out by one whom he must
obey in all things. He said that he hoped that both Barnaby and the
young lady would perform willingly what they would be now called upon
to do, but that whether they did it willingly or no, they must, for that
those were the orders of one who was not to be disobeyed.

You may guess how our hero held his breath at all this; but whatever
might have been his expectations, the very wildest of them all did not
reach to that which was demanded of him. "My orders are these," said the
other, continuing: "I am to take you and the young lady ashore, and to
see that you are married before I quit you; and to that end a very
good, decent, honest minister who lives ashore yonder in the village was
chosen and hath been spoken to and is now, no doubt, waiting for you to
come. Such are my orders, and this is the last thing I am set to do; so
now I will leave you alone together for five minutes to talk it over,
but be quick about it, for whether willing or not, this thing must be
done."

Thereupon he went away, as he had promised, leaving those two alone
together, Barnaby like one turned into stone, and the young lady, her
face turned away, flaming as red as fire in the fading light.

Nor can I tell what Barnaby said to her, nor what words he used, but
only, all in a tumult, with neither beginning nor end he told her that
God knew he loved her, and that with all his heart and soul, and that
there was nothing in all the world for him but her; but, nevertheless,
if she would not have it as had been orde