Dorothy dropped on her knees on the sand before him, and at a motion of her hand Maurice did likewise.
"Get up, get up, you young fools!" said the old man; "suppose some one should see us!"
"No, sir," said Dorothy, grasping the skirts of his coat tightly; "not until you modify your terms. You know he loves me, and—and—and I am so sorry for him," she added, ingenuously.
"Well," said the captain, to whom Dorothy was as the apple of his eye, "I'll knock off a little. He can marry you when he has command of a ship. If he is lucky, he might be made a lieutenant-commandant in five years. Now, up with you!"
The young people struggled to their feet and looked sadly at each other.
"Five years!" ejaculated the midshipman, mournfully.
"It's better than twenty, Jim," said Dorothy, cheerfully. "Can't you wait?"
"Wait! I will wait forever, Dot, I love you so——"
"Waugh!" roared the old captain, "are you going on with these proceedings before my very eyes, at my age? It's indecent! There," he added, turning his back to them and walking away a few steps, at the same time pulling an old silver watch from his pocket, "I'll give you just five minutes; and take my advice, youngster, when you cut out a prize under convoy of a ship-of-the-line, don't make so much noise about it."
"I'll get a command inside of a year, Dot darling, or die in trying," whispered the young man.