"Who fished you out of the water?" said Squire Headlong..
"What is that to the purpose?" said Mr. Cranium. "The whole process of the action was mechanical and necessary. He could no more help jumping into the water than I could help falling into it."
"Very well," said the squire. "Your daughter and Mr. Escot are necessitated to love one another."
Mr. Cranium, after a profound reverie, said, "Do you think Mr. Escot would give me that skull?"
"Skull?" said Squire Headlong.
"Yes," said Mr. Cranium. "The skull of Cadwallader."
"To be sure he will. How can you doubt it?"
"I simply know," said Mr. Cranium, "that if it were once in my possession I would not part with it for any acquisition on earth, much less for a wife."
The squire flew over to Mr. Escot. "I told you," said he, "I would settle him; but there is a very hard condition attached to his compliance. Nothing less than the absolute and unconditional surrender of the skull of Cadwallader."
"I resign it," said Mr. Escot.