"He asked me when the banns was to be put up, an' I didn't like
to tell him I was a married man with a family."
"Why not?" asked the mate.
"He's a prize-fighter," said the other, in awe-inspiring tones; "'the
Battersea Bruiser.' Consequently when he clapped me on the back, and
asked me when the banns was to be, I only smiled."
"What did he do?" inquired the mate, who was becoming interested.
"Put 'em up," groaned the skipper, "an' we all went to church to hear
'em. Talk o' people walking over your grave, George, it's nothing to
what I felt--nothing. I felt a hypocrite, almost. Somehow he found out
about me, and I've been hiding ever since I sent you that note. He told
a pal he was going to give me a licking, and come down to Fairhaven with
us and make mischief between me and the missis."
"That 'ud be worse than the licking," said the mate sagely.
"Ah! and she'd believe him afore she would me, too, an' we've been
married seventeen years," said the skipper mournfully.
"Perhaps that's"--began the mate, and stopped suddenly.
"Perhaps what?" inquired the other, after waiting a reasonable time for
him to finish.
"H'm, I forgot what I was going to say," said the mate. "Funny, it's
gone now. Well, you're all right now. You'd intended this to be the last
trip to London for some time.
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