n'erful particular, sah, and ebber hab been, and ebber will be. Don't
t'ink, Masser Mile, I marry ole Cupid, myself, if anoder prop'r connection
offer in 'e family; but I prefar him, to marry into any oder family
hereabout."

"Neb is Clawbonny, and my great friend; so I hope you will think better of
his suit. Some day Chloe may like to be free; and Neb will always have it
in his power to make his wife free, as well as himself."

"Sah, I t'ink, as you say, Masser Miles, sah--when I hab done t'inkin',
sah, hope young masser and young missus hear what ole cook got to say,
afore 'ey gives consent."

"Certainly; Chloe is your daughter, and she shall pay you all due
respect--for that, I will answer for my sister as well as for myself. We
will never encourage disrespect for parents."

Dido renewed and redoubled her thanks, made another profound curtsey, and
withdrew with a dignity that, I dare say, in Neb's and Chloe's eyes, boded
little good. As for myself, I now mused on the character of the things of
this world. Here were people of the very humblest class known in a
nation--nay, of a class sealed by nature itself, and doomed to
inferiority--just as tenacious of the very distinctions that were making
me so miserable, and against which certain persons, who are wiser than the
rest of the world, declaim without understanding them, and even go so far,
sometimes, as to deny their existence. My cook reasoned, in her sphere,
much as I knew that Rupert reasoned, as the Drewetts reasoned, as the
world reasoned, and, as I feared, even Lucy reasoned in my own case! The
return of Marble, who had left my side as soon as Dido opened her budget,
prevented my dwelling long on this strange--I had almost said,
uncouth--coincidence, and brought my mind back to present things.

"As the old woman has spun her yarn, Miles," the mate resumed, "we will go
on with matters and things. I have been talking with the mother of the
youngster that fell overboard, and giving her some advice for the benefit
of her son in time to come; and what do you think she gives as the reason
for the silly thing he did?"

"It is quite out of my power to say--that he was a silly fellow naturally,
perhaps."

"Love. It seems the poor boy is in love with this sweet friend of yours,
Rupert's sister; and it was nothing more nor less than love which made him
undertake to play rope-dancer on our main-boom!"

"Did Mrs. Drewett tell you this, with her own mouth, Marble?"