"Safe? Have you brought the General off?" shouted the Master anxiously. The crew let as hearty a cheer as they could for their somewhat winded condition, and something very like a yell of triumph went up from those aboard the _Venture_. Dominica was carried up the rope ladder and kissed at the top. "Welcome, my bride!" Beauvallet said in her ear, and set her on her feet. Men seemed to surge around them, questioning, congratulating. There was some display of thanksgiving, not unmixed with many a "Said I not so?" apparently addressed to those who had doubted Sir Nicholas' ability to dupe all Spain. Beauvallet shouldered a way for himself and his lady through this excited crowd with a laugh and a jest flung carelessly. Dominica found herself confronting a small neat gentleman whom Sir Nicholas clapped on the shoulder. "Save you, Master Cooper!" he said. "I have work for you, as I promised." "Sir Nicholas"--the neat man wrung his hand--"I count this escape as not less than one of God's miracles, and a sign to these Spanish Papists--a veritable Sign! What may I do to serve you?" "You may marry me, Master Parson," said Sir Nicholas Beauvallet. EPILOGUE "And so we came off," says Joshua Dimmock, sure of the last word. "You say a miracle? Ho, we do not count such trifles as miraculous in my master's service! Yet I allow it to have been a feat, and do not look upon my own part in it as contemptible. Sir Nicholas owned himself to be somewhat in my debt: a very unusual thing in him, I may say. However, we had some talk together whiles I was trussing his points that next day in his cabin, and 'Joshua, my man,' says he, 'be sure you are a rogue and a wind-bag, but I owe you some thanks for this month's work.' This was very acceptable to me, as you may be sure, not less so than a certain token that went with it. I wear it upon my finger to this day. Ay, a rare stone: it came out of the Indies. "But I run on. Sir Nicholas having said as much, and more, and maybe puffed me up a very little in mine own esteem--for I took no account of certain holiday terms such as toss-pot and hemp-seed that went with his words, these being no more than the genial way he uses--he did me the honour to inform me that he was to be married that morning. "A rare morning's work, I warrant you! with the crew grinning and looking slyly--until I spoke with them. It was enough. I was become a man of some account, which was not marvellous.