"I thought of presenting you to the proprietor of the island, sir."
My uncle looked at me fixedly for a moment and then abruptly enquired:
"Do you mean to marry her, Roger?"
"That's entirely for her to say, Uncle Francis."
"Well, you'll be deuced lucky if she says 'yes'! By the way, what are you going to marry on?"
This was a somewhat delicate question but I thought it best to be candid.
"The advertised reward," I replied.
"For what, may I ask?"
"For catching the spy."
"Oh, you claim that!"