ient
drifted near me from month's end to month's end. And meanwhile the
capital was dribbling away. I felt I was getting on my back legs; it was
either a case of the Colonies or the workhouse, and I'd no taste for
either; and when the news of this girl Teresa came, I tell you I just
jumped at the chance. I don't want to marry her, of course; there are
ten other girls I'd rather have as wife; but there was no other way out
of the difficulty, so I just swallowed my squeamishness for good and
always. See?"

"It was Miss Teresa Anderson I was pitying," said Kettle pointedly.

"Good Lord, man, why? Isn't it the finest thing in the world for her?"

"It might be fine to get away from where she is, and land home to find a
nice property waiting. But I don't care to see a woman have a husband
forced on her. It would be nobler of you, Mr. Wenlock, to let the young
lady get to England, and look round her for a while, and make her
own choice."

"I'm too hard up to be noble," said Wenlock drily. "I've not come here
on philanthropy, and marrying that girl is part of my business.
Besides, hang it all, man, think of what she is, and think of what I
am." He looked himself up and down with a half humorous smile--"I know
nice people at home who would be civil to her, and after all, hang it,
I'm not unmarriageable personally."

"Still," said Kettle doggedly, "I don't like the idea of it."

"Then let me give you an inducement. I said I was not down here on
philanthropy, and I don't suppose you are either. You'll have my
passage money?"

"Two and a-half per cent of it is my commission. The rest goes to the
owners, of course."

"Very well, then. In addition to that, if you'll help this marriage on
in the way I ask, I'll give you L50."

"There's no man living who could do more usefully with L50 if I saw my
way of fingering it."

"I think I see what you mean. No, you won't have to wait for it. I've
got the money here in hard cash in my pocket ready for you to take over
the minute it's earned."

"I was wondering, sir, if I could earn it honorably. You must give me
time to think this out. I'll try and give you an answer after tea. And
for the present I shall have to leave you. I've got to go through the
ship's papers: I have to be my own clerk on board here just now, though
the Company did certainly promise me a much better ship if I beat up
plenty of cargo, and made a good voyage of it with this."

The _Parakeet_ worked her way al