"Because I have made my arrangements."
"But I wish to speak of myself, dear."
"I am speaking of you—my arrangements concern you—and me."
I looked at her uneasily, for somehow the sense of my own poverty came home to me very sharply, and I had a strong disinclination to hear what my foolish pride might smart under as a mortification.
She read my thoughts in my eyes; and blushing, yet letting me see her sweet face, she said in a low voice, "I thought we were to be married?"
"I hope so. It is my dearest wish, Mary. I have told you I love you. It would break up my life to lose you now."
"You shall not lose me—but neither will I lose you. I shall never release you more."
"Mary, do let me speak my thoughts out. I am very poor. The little that I had has gone down in the Grosvenor. I could not marry you as I am. I could not offer you the hand of a pauper. Let me tell you my plans. I shall write, on reaching Glasgow, to the owners of the Grosvenor, relate the loss of the ship, and ask for payment of the wages that are due to me. With this money I will travel to London and go to work at once to obtain a berth on another ship. Perhaps, when the owners of the Grosvenor hear my story, they will give me a post on board one of their other vessels. At all events I must hope for the best. I will work very hard——"
"No, no, I cannot listen!" she exclaimed, impetuously. "You are going to tell me that you will work very hard to become captain and save a little money; and you will then say that several years must pass before your pride will suffer you to think yourself in a proper position to make me your wife."
"Yes, I was going to say that."