"Ordained!" he echoed, "I don't understand you. I'm the master of a British merchantman, and, as such, can and do desire, for Miss Bellassys's sake, to marry ye." Now, I do not know how, when or where I had stumbled upon the fact, but all on a sudden it came into my head that it was as Captain Parsons said: namely, that the master of a British merchantman was empowered, whether by statute, by precedent, or by recognition of the laws of necessity, to celebrate the marriage service on board his own ship at sea. I may have read it in the corner of a newspaper--in some column of answers to correspondents--as likely as not in a work of fiction; but the mere fact of having heard of it, persuaded me that Captain Parsons was in earnest; and very much indeed did he look in earnest as he surveyed me with an expression of triumph in his little eyes, whilst I hung in the wind, swiftly thinking. "But am I to understand," said I, fetching a breath, "that a marriage at sea, with nobody but the captain of the ship to officiate, is legal?" "Certainly," he cried, "let me splice you to Miss Bellassys, and there's nothing mortal outside the Divorce Court that can sunder you. How many couples do you think I've married in my time?" "I cannot imagine." "Six," he cried, "and they're all doing well, too." "But I suppose they were all formally married afterwards?" "No, sir," said he, misunderstanding me, "they were not formerly married. They came to me as you and the young lady will, single folks." "Have you a special marriage service at sea?" "The same, word for word, as you have it in the Prayer Book." "And when it is read--?" said I, pausing. "I enter the circumstance in the official logbook, duly witnessed, and then there you are, much more married than it would delight you to feel if afterwards you should find out you've made a mistake." My heart beat fast. Though I never dreamt for an instant of accepting this shipper's offices seriously, yet if the ceremony he performed should be legal it would be a trump card in my hand for any game I might hereafter have to play with Lady Amelia. "But how," said I, "are you to get over the objections to my marriage?" "What objections? The only objection I see is your not being married already." "Why," said I, "residence or licence." He flourished his hand: "You're both aboard my ship, aren't ye? That's residence enough for me. As to licence--there's no such thing at sea. Suppose a couple wanted to get married in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; where's the licence to come from?" "But how about the consent of the guardian?" "The lawful guardian isn't here," he answered, "the lawful guardian's leagues astern. No use talking of guardians aboard ship. The young lady being in this ship constitutes me her guardian, and it's enough for you that _I_ give my consent."