The boy, with a few remarks about the rights of man in general and ships’ boys in particular, took his departure, and Joe, taking the startled Mr. Green by the arm, led him farther aft. “You’ve got a ’ead on you Will-yum, I know,” he said, in a fierce whisper. “People have said so,” remarked the other, modestly. “What’s the row?” For answer, Joe pointed to the cabin, and that with so much expression on his features that Mr. Green, following his gaze, half expected to see something horrible emerge from the companion. “It’s all up,” said the tall seaman, poetically. “You can put the wedding-dress away in brown paper, and tell the church bells as there is no call for ’em to ring: Cap’n Flower has turned up ag’in.” “WHAT?” cried the astonished Mr. Green. “I see ’im,” replied Joe. “I was just goin’ on the wharf as I passed to speak to old George, when I see ’im talking to ’im. He didn’t see me, an’ I come off ’ere as fast as my legs could carry me. Now, wot’s to be done? You’ve got the ’ead-piece.” Mr. Green scratched the article in question and smiled feebly. “On’y two days, and they would ha’ been married,” said Joe; “bit ’ard, ain’t it? I’m glad as I can be as he’s safe, but he might ha’ waited a day or two longer.” “Did George seem scared?” enquired his friend. “Wot’s that got to do with it?” demanded Joe, violently. “Are you goin’ to set that ’ead-piece to work or are you not?” Mr. Green coughed confusedly, and attempted to think with a brain which was already giddy with responsibility. “I don’t want to do anything that isn’t straight and gentlemanly,” he remarked. “Straight?” repeated Joe. “Look ’ere! Cap’n Fraser’s our old man, ain’t he? Very good, it’s our dooty to stand by ’im. But, besides that, it’s for the young lady’s sake: it’s easy to see that she’s as fond of him as she can be, and she’s that sort o’ young lady that if she come up now and told me to jump overboard, I’d do it.” “You could swim ashore easy,” asserted Mr. Green. “They was to be married Thursday morning,” continued Joe, “and now here’s Cap’n Flower and no ’ead-piece on the ship. Crool, I call it.” “She’s a very nice young lady,” said the mortified Mr. Green; “always a pleasant smile for everybody.” “He’ll come aboard ’ere as safe as heggs is heggs,” said Joe, despondently. “Wot’s to be done?” He folded his arms on the side and stood ruefully watching the stairs. He was quite confident that there were head-pieces walking the earth, to which a satisfactory solution of this problem would have afforded no difficulty whatever, and he shook his own sadly, as he thought of its limitations. “It only wants a little artfulness, Will-yum,” he suggested, encouragingly. “Get hold of him and make him drunk for three days,” murmured Mr. Green, in a voice so low that he half hoped Joe would not hear it.