“Because, Tom, I’ve been looking on, and not performing, all my life: except in one instance in a long life, I’ve only been a bystander in the way of courtship and matrimony. Here we are at last, and now for a chaise to Deal. Thank God, we can afford to shorten the time, for Bessy’s sake, poor thing!”
We arrived at the cottage: the sound of the wheels had called out not only Bessy and Mrs Maddox, but all the neighbours; for they had heard of our good fortune. Bessy, as soon as she had satisfied herself that it was Bramble and me, went into the cottage again. Once more we entered the humble roof. Bessy flew into her father’s arms, and hung weeping on his shoulder.
“Haven’t you a kind word to say for Tom?” said Bramble, kissing her as he released himself.
“Does he deserve it, to leave me as he did, laughing at my distress? He had no right to treat me so.”
“Indeed, Bessy, you do me injustice. I said at the time that I thought there was no risk, and I certainly did think there was none. Who would have expected a privateer half-way up the Thames, any more than a vessel with twenty men on board could be re-captured by two men?”
“Well, Bessy, you ought to make friends with him, for without his arm, your father would not have been back here quite so soon. He beat down the Frenchmen, one after another, in good style, when they attempted to recover the vessel—that he did, I can tell you, wounded as he was.”
“Wounded?” cried Bessy; starting, her eyes running over me to find out where.
“Yes, with a bullet in his leg; I didn’t like to say a word about it in the letter. But I suppose if he had been killed you would not have cared?”
“Oh, father!” cried Bessy, as she turned towards me, and I received her in my arms.
Bessy soon recovered her smiles, and thankful for our preservation and good fortune, and satisfied with our mutual affection, we passed a most happy evening. Somehow or another Bramble, having sent Mrs Maddox on a message, found out that it was very sultry indoors, and that he would take his pipe on the beach. He left me alone with Bessy; and now, for the first time, I plainly told her the state of my affections, and asked her to consent to be my wife. I did not plead in vain, as the reader may suppose from what he has already been made acquainted with.