“I reckon he’s hooked, gen’lemen,” replied the old sailor. “There’s many a smart man on the ‘field’—I’m aware of that—but never a one so smart but a woman won’t sooner or later take him in her net. I give my dar’ter credit for having landed the smartest of the whole crowd of you.”
“Well,” said Jack, as he turned the glittering ring between his fingers, “I’ve got to go through with it; but such tokens of sympathy as this ring”—he placed it on the first joint of his forefinger, and held it up that all might see—“will pull me through.”
“And when is the happy day?” asked Tresco.
“The choice of that lies with the lady,” replied Jack; “but as the Pilot has just received news of his brother’s death, I expect my freedom will extend for a little while yet.”
“My mate and me’ll be far away by then,” said the Prospector, and he looked at Benjamin as he spoke. “But you may bet we’ll often think of you and your wife, and wish you health an’ happiness.”
“Hear, hear.” The crowd was beginning to feel that the occasion was assuming its proper aspect.
“We hope,” continued Bill, “that your wife will prove a valuable find, as valuable a find as your claim at Robin Creek, an’ that she’ll pan out rich in virtue an’ all womanly qualities. H’m.” The Prospector turned for sympathy to his friends. “I think that’s pretty fair, eh, mates?” But they only grinned. So Bill addressed himself once more to the subject in hand, though his ideas had run out with his last rhetorical effort. “I don’t think I can beat that,” he said; “I think I’ll leave it at that. I hope she’ll pan out rich in virtue, an’ prove a valuable claim. Me an’ Tresco’s got a long way to go before night. I hope you’ll excuse us if we start to make a git.” He held out his hand to Jack, and said, “Health an’ prosperity to you an’ the missis, mate. So-long.” Then he hitched up his swag, and walked down the gravelled path regardless of Tresco or anyone else.
The goldsmith tarried a moment or two.
“It’s hardly possible we shall meet again,” he said. “If we don’t, I wish you a long good-bye. It is said that men value most those to whom they have been of service; but whether that is so or not, I shall always like to think of the days we spent together on Bush Robin Creek.”
“When this little bit of a breeze has blown over,” said Jack, “I hope you’ll come back.”