For, the Captain came straight up to me,
and says he, "My brave fellow, you have been Miss Maryon's body-guard all
along, and you shall remain so. Nobody shall supersede you in the
distinction and pleasure of protecting that young lady." I thanked his
honour in the fittest words I could find, and that night I was placed on
my old post of watching the place where she slept. More than once in the
night, I saw Captain Carton come out into the air, and stroll about
there, to see that all was well. I have now this other singular
confession to make, that I saw him with a heavy heart. Yes; I saw him
with a heavy, heavy heart.
In the day-time, I had the like post in Captain Carton's boat. I had a
special station of my own, behind Miss Maryon, and no hands but hers ever
touched my wound. (It has been healed these many long years; but, no
other hands have ever touched it.) Mr. Pordage was kept tolerably quiet
now, with pen and ink, and began to pick up his senses a little. Seated
in the second boat, he made documents with Mr. Kitten, pretty well all
day; and he generally handed in a Protest about something whenever we
stopped. The Captain, however, made so very light of these papers, that
it grew into a saying among the men, when one of them wanted a match for
his pipe, "Hand us over a Protest, Jack!" As to Mrs.
Pages:
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85