A SINGULAR PROPOSAL
I followed the man into the saloon and was led right aft where stood
two large cabins. On entering I found Captain Parsons sitting at a
table covered with nautical instruments, books, writing materials and
so forth. A lighted bracket lamp near the door illuminated the
interior, and gave me a good view of the hearty little fellow, and his
sea-furniture of cot, locker, chest of drawers, and wearing apparel
that slided to and fro upon the bulkhead as it dangled from pegs. His
air was as grave, and his countenance as full of importance as such
features as his were capable of expressing. Having asked me to take a
seat, he surveyed me thoughtfully for some moments in silence.
"Young gentleman," said he at last, "before we man the windlass I have
to beg you'll not take amiss any questions I may put. Whatever I ask
won't be out of curiosity. I believe I can see my way to doing you and
your pretty young lady a very considerable service: but I shall first
want all the truth you may think proper to give me."
I heard him with some astonishment. What could he mean? What service
had he in contemplation?
"The truth of what, Captain Parsons?" said I.
"Well, now, your relations with Miss Bellassys--it's an elopement, I
believe?"
"That is so," I answered, hardly knowing whether to laugh or to feel
vexed.
"Though the young lady," he continued, "is not one of my passengers in
the sense that the rest of 'em are, she is aboard my ship, and as
though by the Divine ordering, committed to my care, as are you and
every man Jack of the two hundred and four souls who are sailing with
me. Of course you know that we shipmasters have very great powers."
I merely inclined my head, wondering what he was driving at.
"A shipmaster," he proceeded, "is lord paramount, quite the cock of his
own walk, and nothing must crow where he is. He is responsible for the
safety and comfort, for the well-being, moral, spiritual, and physical,
of every creature aboard his ship; no matter the circumstances under
which that creature came aboard, whether by paying cabin money, by
shipwreck, or by signing articles. Miss Bellassys has come into my
hands, and it is my duty, as master of this ship, to see that she's
done right by."
The conflict of twenty emotions rendered me quite incapable to do
anything more than stare at him.
"Now, Mr. Barclay," he continued, crossing his bow legs, and wagging a
little stunted forefinger in a kindly, admonishing way, "don't be
affronted by this preface, and don't be affronted by what I'm going to
ask, for if all be plain sailing, I shall be able to do you and the
young lady a real A1, copper-fastened service."
"Pray ask any questions you wish, captain," said I.
"This is an elopement, you say?"
"It is."
"Where from?"
"Boulogne-sur-Mer."
"Bullong-sewer-mare," he repeated. "Was the young lady at school?"
"She was."
"What might be her age, now?"
"She will be eighteen next so-and-so," said I, giving him the month.
He suddenly jumped up, and I could not imagine what he meant to do,
till pulling open a drawer, he took out a large box of cigars which he
placed upon the table.
"Pray, light up, Mr. Barclay," said he, looking to see if the window of
his port-hole was open. "They are genuine Havannah cigars." He
lighted one himself and proceeded. "What necessity was there for this
elopement?"
"Miss Bellassys is an orphan," I answered, still so much astonished
that I found myself almost mechanically answering him as though I were
in a witness-box, and he was Mr. Justice Parsons in a wig instead of an
old, bow-legged, pimple-nosed, merchant skipper. "Her father was
Colonel Bellassys, who died some years ago in India. On her mother's
death she was taken charge of by her aunt, Lady Amelia Roscoe. Lady
Amelia's husband was a gentleman named Withycombe Roscoe, whose estate
in Kent adjoined my father's, Sir Herbert Barclay, the engineer."
"D'ye mean the gentleman who built the L---- docks?"
"Yes."
"Oh, indeed!" cried he, looking somewhat impressed. "And how _is_ your
father, Mr. Barclay?"
"He died about two years and a half ago," I replied. "But you have
asked me for the truth of this elopement, Captain Parsons. There were
constant quarrels between my father and Mr. Withycombe Roscoe over a
hedge, or wall, or ditch--some matter contemptibly insignificant, but
if the value of the few rods or perches of ground had been represented
by the National Debt, there could not have been hotter blood, more
ill-feeling between them. Litigation was incessant, and I am sorry to
say that it still continues, though I should be glad to end it."
"Sort of entailed lawsuit, I suppose?" said the captain, smoking with
enjoyment, and listening with interest and respect.
"Just so," said I, finding now a degree of happiness in this candour;
it was a kind of easing of my conscience to tell this man my story,
absolute stranger as he had been to me but a few hours before. "Mr.
Roscoe died, and Lady Amelia took a house in London. I met her niece
at the house of a friend, and fell in love with her."
"So I should think," exclaimed Captain Parsons, "never saw a sweeter
young lady in all my time."
"Well, to cut short this part of the story--when her ladyship learnt
that her niece was in love, and discovered who her sweetheart was--this
occupied a few months I may tell you--she packed the girl off to
Boulogne, to a Mademoiselle Championet, who keeps a sort of school at
that place, though Grace was sent there professedly to learn French.
This mademoiselle is some sort of poor connection of Lady Amelia, a
bigotted Catholic, as her ladyship is, and it soon grew clear to my
mind, from letters I received from Miss Bellassys--despatched in the
old romantic fashion--"
"What fashion's that?" called out the captain.
"The bribed housemaid, sir. It soon grew clear to my mind, I say, that
Lady Amelia's main object in sending the girl to Mademoiselle
Championet was to get her converted."
"Bad! bad!" cried Captain Parsons.
"Her letters," I continued, growing hot as I spoke, "were all about
Mademoiselle Championet's devices and mean dodges--how Miss Bellassys
was taken to mass--how she was allowed to read nothing but Catholic
books--how she was left alone with a priest--"
"A d----d shame!" whipped out the captain. "And such a sweet young
English woman too!"
"Do you need to hear more?" said I, smiling. "I love the girl and she
loves me; she was an orphan, and I did not consider the aunt a right
and proper guardian for her; she consented to elope, and we did elope,
and here we are, captain."
"And you were bound to Penzance, I understand?"
"Yes."
"Why Penzance?"
"To get married at a church in that district."
"Who was going to marry ye?"
"A cousin of mine, the Reverend Frank Howe, of course, after we had
fulfilled the confounded legal conditions which obstruct young people
like ourselves in England."
"And what are the legal conditions? It's so long since I was married
that I forget 'em," said the captain.
"Residence, as it is called; then the consent of her ladyship, as Miss
Bellassys is under age."
"But she isn't going to consent, is she?"
"How can she refuse after our association in the yacht--and here?"
It took him some time to understand; he then shut one eye and said, "I
see."
We pulled at our cigars in silence as we gazed at each other. The
evening had blackened into night; a silver star or two slided in the
open port through which came the washing noise of the water as it swept
eddying and seething past the bends into the wake of the ship; now and
again the rudder jarred harshly and there was a monstrous tread of feet
overhead. We were at the extreme after end of the vessel, where the
heave of her would be most sensibly felt, and she was still curtseying
with some briskness, but I scarcely heeded the motion, so effectually
had the mad behaviour of the _Spitfire_ cured me of all tendency to
nausea.
"And now, Mr. Barclay," exclaimed the captain, after a silence of a
minute or two, "I'll explain why I have made so free as to ask you for
your story. It's the opinion of Mrs. Barstow and Miss Moggadore, that
Miss Bellassys and you ought to be married right away off. It's a duty
that's owing to the young lady. You can see it for yourself, sir. Her
situation, young gentleman," he added with emphasis, "is not what it
ought to be."
"I agree in every word," I exclaimed, "but--"
He interrupted me: "Her dignity is yours, her reputation is yours. And
the sooner you're married the better."
I was about to speak, but despite my pronouncing several words he
proceeded obstinately:
"Mrs. Barstow is one of the best natured women in the world. There
never was a more practical lady; sees a thing in a minute; and you may
believe in her advice as you would in the fathom marks on a headline.
Miss Moggadore, the young lady that sat on my left at table--did you
notice her, Mr. Barclay?"
"A middle-aged lady, with curls?"
"Eight and thirty. Ain't that young enough? Ay, Miss Moggadore has
two curls, and let me tell you that her nose heads the right way. Miss
Moggadore wasn't behind the door when brains were served out. Well,
she and Mrs. Barstow, and your humble servant," he convulsed his short
square figure into a sea-bow, "are for having you and Miss Bellassys
married straight away off."
"So there is a clergyman on board?" I cried, feeling the blood in my
face, and staring eagerly at him.
"No, sir," said he, "there's no clergyman aboard my ship."
"Then," said I, almost sulkily, "what on earth, Captain Parsons, is the
good of you and Mrs. Barstow and Miss Moggadore advising Miss Bellassys
and me to get married straight away off, as you term it?"
"It ought to be done," said he, with an emphatic nod.
"What, without a parson?" I cried.
"_I_ am a parson," he exclaimed.
I imagined he intended a stupid pun upon his name.
"Parson enough," he continued, "to do your business. _I'll_ marry you!"
"You?" I shouted.
"Yes, me," he returned, striking his breast with his fist.
"Pray, where were you ordained?" said I, disgusted with the bad taste
of what I regarded as a joke.
"Ordained!" he echoed, "I don't understand you. I'm the master of a
British merchantman, and, as such, can and do desire, for Miss
Bellassys's sake, to marry ye."
Now, I do not know how, when or where I had stumbled upon the fact, but
all on a sudden it came into my head that it was as Captain Parsons
said: namely, that the master of a British merchantman was empowered,
whether by statute, by precedent, or by recognition of the laws of
necessity, to celebrate the marriage service on board his own ship at
sea. I may have read it in the corner of a newspaper--in some column
of answers to correspondents--as likely as not in a work of fiction;
but the mere fact of having heard of it, persuaded me that Captain
Parsons was in earnest; and very much indeed did he look in earnest as
he surveyed me with an expression of triumph in his little eyes, whilst
I hung in the wind, swiftly thinking.
"But am I to understand," said I, fetching a breath, "that a marriage
at sea, with nobody but the captain of the ship to officiate, is legal?"
"Certainly," he cried, "let me splice you to Miss Bellassys, and
there's nothing mortal outside the Divorce Court that can sunder you.
How many couples do you think I've married in my time?"
"I cannot imagine."
"Six," he cried, "and they're all doing well, too."
"But I suppose they were all formally married afterwards?"
"No, sir," said he, misunderstanding me, "they were not formerly
married. They came to me as you and the young lady will, single folks."
"Have you a special marriage service at sea?"
"The same, word for word, as you have it in the Prayer Book."
"And when it is read--?" said I, pausing.
"I enter the circumstance in the official logbook, duly witnessed, and
then there you are, much more married than it would delight you to feel
if afterwards you should find out you've made a mistake."
My heart beat fast. Though I never dreamt for an instant of accepting
this shipper's offices seriously, yet if the ceremony he performed
should be legal it would be a trump card in my hand for any game I
might hereafter have to play with Lady Amelia.
"But how," said I, "are you to get over the objections to my marriage?"
"What objections? The only objection I see is your not being married
already."
"Why," said I, "residence or licence."
He flourished his hand: "You're both aboard my ship, aren't ye? That's
residence enough for me. As to licence--there's no such thing at sea.
Suppose a couple wanted to get married in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean; where's the licence to come from?"
"But how about the consent of the guardian?"
"The lawful guardian isn't here," he answered, "the lawful guardian's
leagues astern. No use talking of guardians aboard ship. The young
lady being in this ship constitutes me her guardian, and it's enough
for you that _I_ give my consent."
His air, as he pronounced these words, induced such a fit of laughter,
that for several moments I was unable to speak. He appeared to
heartily enjoy my merriment, and sat watching me with the broadest of
grins.
"I'm glad you take to the notion kindly," said he. "I was afraid, with
Mrs. Barstow, that you'd create a difficulty."
"I! Indeed, Captain Parsons, I have nothing in the world else to do,
nothing in the world else to think of but to get married. But how
about Miss Bellassys?" I added, with a shake of the head. "What will
she have to say to a shipboard wedding?"
"You leave her to Mrs. Barstow and Miss Moggadore," said he with a nod;
"besides, it's for her to be anxious to get married. Make no mistake,
young man. Until she becomes Mrs. Barclay, her situation is by no
means what it ought to be."
"But is it the fact, captain," I exclaimed, visited by a new emotion of
surprise and incredulity, "that a marriage, celebrated at sea by the
captain of a ship, is legal?"
Instead of answering, he counted upon his fingers.
"Three and one are four, and two are six, and two's eight, and three's
eleven, and four again's fifteen." He paused, looking up at me, and
exclaimed with as much solemnity as he could impart to his briny voice,
"If it isn't legal, all I can say is, God help fifteen of as fine a set
of children as ever a man could wish to clap eyes on--not counting the
twelve parents, that I married. But since you seem to doubt--I wish I
had the official log-books containing the entries--tell ye what I'll
do!" he exclaimed, and jumped up. "Do you know Mr. Higginson?"
"A passenger, I presume?"
"Ay, one of the shrewdest lawyers in New Zealand. I'll send for him,
and you shall hear what he says."
But on putting his head out to call for the steward, he saw Mr.
Higginson sitting at the saloon table reading. Some whispering
followed, and they both arrived, the captain carefully shutting the
door behind him. Mr. Higginson was a tall, middle-aged man, with a
face that certainly looked intellectual enough to inspire one with some
degree of confidence in anything he might deliver. He put on a pair of
pince-nez glasses, bowed to me, and took a chair. The captain began
awkwardly, abruptly, and in a rumbling voice.
"Mr. Higginson, I'll tell you in half-a-dozen words how the case
stands. No need for mystery. Mr. Barclay's out on an eloping tour.
He don't mind my saying so, for we want nothing but the truth aboard
the _Carthusian_. He's run away with that sweet young lady we took off
his yacht, and is anxious to get married, and Mrs. Barstow and Miss
Moggadore don't at all relish the situation the young lady's put
herself in, and they're for marrying her as quickly as the job can be
done."
Mr. Higginson nursed his knee and smiled at the deck with a look of
embarrassment though he had been attending to the skipper's words with
lawyer-like gravity down to that moment.
"You see," continued Captain Parsons, "that the young lady being aboard
my ship puts her under my care."
"Just so," said Mr. Higginson.
"Therefore I'm her guardian, and it's my duty to look after her."
"Just so," murmured Mr. Higginson.
"Now, I suppose you're aware, sir," continued the captain, "that the
master of a British merchantman is fully empowered to marry any couple
aboard his ship?"
"Empowered by what?" asked Mr. Higginson.
"He has the right to do it, sir," answered the captain.
"It is a subject," exclaimed Mr. Higginson nervously, "upon which I am
hardly qualified to give an opinion."
"Is a shipboard marriage legal, or is it not legal?" demanded the
captain.
"I cannot answer as to the legality," answered the lawyer, "but I
believe there are several instances on record of marriages having taken
place at sea; and I should say," he added slowly and cautiously, "that
in the event of their legality ever being tested, no court would be
found willing, on the merits of the contracts as marriages, to set them
aside."
"There ye have it, Mr. Barclay," cried the captain with a triumphant
swing round in his chair.
"In the case of a marriage at sea," continued Mr. Higginson looking at
me, "I should certainly counsel the parties not to depend upon the
validity of their union, but to make haste to confirm it by a second
marriage on their arrival at port."
"Needless expense and trouble," whipped out the captain; "there's the
official log-book. What more's wanted?"
"But is there no form required--no licence necessary?" I exclaimed,
addressing Mr. Higginson.
"Hardly at sea, I should say," he answered, smiling.
"My argument!" shouted the captain.
"But the young lady is under age," I continued; "she is an orphan, and
her aunt is her guardian. How about that aunt's consent, sir?"
"How can it be obtained?" exclaimed the lawyer.
"My argument again!" roared the captain.
"No doubt," exclaimed Mr. Higginson, "as the young lady is under age,
the marriage could be rendered by the action of her guardian null and
void. But would the guardian in this case take such a step? Would she
not rather desire that this union at sea should be confirmed by a
wedding on shore?"
"You exactly express my hope," said I; "but before we decide, Captain
Parsons, let me first of all talk the matter over with Miss Bellassys."
"All right, sir," he answered, "but don't lose sight of this: that,
whilst the young lady's aboard my ship, I'm her natural guardian and
protector; the law holds me accountable for her safety and well-being,
and what I say is, she ought to be married. I've explained why; and I
say, she ought to be _married_!"
A few minutes later, I quitted the cabin, leaving the captain and Mr.
Higginson arguing upon the powers of a commander of a ship, the skipper
shouting as I opened the door, "I tell you, Mr. Higginson, that the
master of a vessel may not only legally marry a couple, but may legally
christen their infants, sir; and then legally bury the lot of them, if
they should die."