The Two Shipmates | Page 4

never thank you enough."
"Nay, Ralph, though I love you, it's my grandchild's welfare I have at heart, for I can with perfect confidence confide her to you," said the old lady, taking Ralph's hand and looking him earnestly in the face. "You will cherish her and watch over her, and guard her from all evil."
"Indeed I will, if health and strength is given me," he answered solemnly.
"For that we must trust to God," said Mrs Treviss. "All we can do is to exercise the sense He has given us, and guard against the dangers we know may occur. I have therefore made my will, and left the very small property I possess to Jessie; but most of my income, as the widow of a warrant-officer killed in action, ceases at my death, so that as a single woman she would be but poorly off, though she will have something to help keep house."
"I would as willingly marry her if she had not a sixpence," exclaimed Ralph, warmly. "More willingly I could not, but it would be a satisfaction to know that I was saving her from poverty or from having to toil for her living."
"I know you will, Ralph, and I believe you, so say no more about that," observed Mrs Treviss. "If your good captain settles to put the Amity into dock, you may perhaps marry some day next week. You can ask Jessie, and I don't think she will say you nay."
Ralph was pouring out his thanks from the bottom of his heart, with all the ardour of a young sailor, when Jessie returned. He would at once have broached the subject had not Mrs Treviss given him timely warning that by so doing he would considerably interfere with the supper arrangements. Jessie therefore went back to the kitchen and returned several times, unaware of the interesting conversation which had taken place, though she might have observed the animated expression of her lover's countenance. When all was ready and they sat down to table Ralph ate so little that Jessie began to fear he was unwell, and she at last could not help looking up affectionately in his face and asking him if such was the case.
"Oh no, I never felt better in my life, Jessie; and so happy!" he answered.
Perhaps she herself might just then have had some suspicion of the truth, for she forgot to eat any more; and shortly afterwards her granny, getting up, hobbled out of the room. The young people were alone, and, as may be supposed, Ralph did not lose much time in telling Jessie what Mrs Treviss had said, and asking her if she would consent to the arrangement. Jessie was as ready to obey her granny's wishes as Ralph could desire, and as he told her there would be no difficulty in obtaining a licence she consented to fix the following Monday for their wedding-day, if he could, as he hoped, remain in Plymouth. He was naturally very sanguine in the expectation of being able to obtain a holiday. He even thought that, should the Amity be offered a freight which could not be refused, Captain Mudge would propose getting another mate for the voyage, as it was summer time; not that he should like him to do that. Jessie thought that Captain Mudge would not hesitate about having the Amity repaired. How could he, when so important an event depended on his decision! At length granny came back into the room, with a smile on her countenance, and, sitting down in her arm-chair, looked up at the tall clock in the corner, which had gone "tick! tick! tick!" unheeded for an hour or more since supper.
"Well, my dears, is it all settled?" she asked.
"Yes," answered Ralph. "Jessie has promised to make me the happiest young fellow alive next Monday--though I am wonderfully happy for that matter at present,"--and jumping up he kissed granny's hand and thanked her again and again for the gift she had bestowed on him, and then he ran back to Jessie's side.
At that instant there came several thundering blows on the door from a heavy cudgel, and a gruff voice cried out, "Open in the King's name;" while another was heard to say, in a lower tone, "Go round to the back and look out that he does not escape by that way."
CHAPTER TWO.
When Dick Bracewell entered the tavern, he intended merely to take a glass of liquor, just to show his independence, and then to follow his friend. He, however, found a shipmate, Tom Joyce, in the bar, who easily persuaded him to take a second, followed, naturally, by a third; and then, his spirits raised, he was induced to accompany his companion to a dancing hall attached to a public-house in one of