‘Brutally in earnest.’
‘Saints, Marian! What’ll father and mother think to hear of you as living on Tristan d’Acunha?’ cried Will.
‘That’s where it is!’ exclaimed Tom fiercely, rounding upon the boy, ‘I shan’t be safe!’
‘Not as my cousin’s husband?’ said Will. ‘Who’d talk?’
I frowned to silence him. I wanted no ill feeling between these two.
‘Who’s this Glass you speak of, Butler?’ said the mate.
‘When Cloete’s garrison was withdrawn, Glass was left as a volunteer in charge of a wreck and some military stores. That was in ’24. Two seamen of the St. Helena squadron settled on the island with him. You know, of course, that Tristan was occupied by a detachment of our artillery while Bonaparte was at St. Helena?’
‘Where did they find wives?’ said the mate.
‘Glass brought a mulatto woman from the Cape; the other settlers got negresses from St. Helena. The population was about forty when I was there; though some of the women are well-built and handsome, their complexions run from milk to chocolate.’