“A common sailor!” exclaimed the Captain, “oh, fie!”
“I quite feel the ‘fie,’” said she, “but he’s anything but common.”
“Come, my child,” said her father, “let us talk this over. In a matter of the heart I would not control my daughter. I attach little value to rank or wealth, but the line must be drawn somewhere. A man in that lowly station may be brave and worthy, but at every step he would make dreadful blunders that Society would never pardon. He would drop his h’s, and eat peas with his knife.”
Captain Corcoran’s sentiments upon this point were so right and just that one is more sorry than ever that he should have boasted, in his song, of being related to a peer. It is just one of those unfortunate little slips that one never can quite get out of one’s mind. Personally, I hope he did it only because he wanted a rhyme to “steer,” but, after all, that’s a very poor excuse.
“All that you say is true,” replied Josephine, “but fear not, Papa; I have a heart, and therefore I love; but I am your daughter, and therefore I am proud. Though I carry my love with me to the tomb he shall never, never know it!”
Poor girl, she thought so at the time, but as the result will show, she sadly over-estimated her strength of mind, and the consequence was a pretty kettle of fish, I promise you!
At this point a message was brought to the Captain by Lieutenant Hatchway, that the ship’s barge was approaching with Sir Joseph on board, accompanied by his two plain sisters, his three ugly aunts, and ever so many pretty cousins, their daughters. Sir Joseph was a gentleman of great refinement, who was very easily shocked, and as he knew that the society of charming ladies had the effect of making everybody polite and considerate, he never travelled any great distance without them.
“Pipe the side and man ship,” said the Captain, which meant that he wished all the officers to stand in a row to salute the First Lord, and all the crew to stand upright on the various spars that crossed the three masts, which is the way in which superior persons were always received on a man-of-war. The Captain of Marines (who are a kind of military sailors or nautical soldiers) brought up his men that they might “present arms” with their rifles at the word of command, and the ship’s band were ready with all their instruments to play “God save the Queen” at the proper moment.
All these preparations were ready by the time the ship’s barge (which is a very large and handsome boat rowed by twelve sailors, seated two and two) was alongside, and in a few moments Sir Joseph Porter and his female relations stepped on board. The Officers saluted, the Marines presented arms, the drums rattled, the band struck up the National Anthem, and nine-pounder guns were fired from the middle deck.