“He’ll get the better of it,” said Mrs. Banks, kindly, as her quondam foe wiped her eyes again. “If he don’t, you’d better marry before October.”
To say that Captain Barber pricked up his ears at this, indicates but feebly his interest in the remark. He held his breath and looked wildly round the room as the two ladies, deftly ignoring him, made their arrangements for his future.
“I don’t like to seem to hurry it,” said the housekeeper.
“No, of course you don’t. If he said October, naturally October it ought to be, in the usual way,” remarked the other.
“I never said October,” interrupted the trembling mariner.
“There’s his memory again,” said Mrs. Banks, in a low voice.
“Poor dear,” sighed the other.
“We’ll look after your interests,” said Mrs. Banks, with a benevolent smile. “Don’t you remember meeting me by the church the other night and telling me that you were going to marry Mrs. Church in October?”
“No,” bawled the affrighted man.
“Clean gone,” said Mrs. Church, shaking her head; “it’s no use.”