“I guess she has, Abby,” agreed Mrs. Todd instantly. “How was it you happened to get such a good look at her? I meant to ask you again when I was here t’other day.” “Our ship was layin’ in the Thames, right there above Wapping. We was dischargin’ cargo, and under orders to clear as quick as we could for Bordeaux to take on an excellent freight o’ French goods,” explained Mrs. Martin eagerly. “I heard that the Queen was goin’ to a great review of her army, and would drive out o’ her Buckin’ham Palace about ten o’clock in the mornin’, and I run aft to Albert, my husband, and brother Horace where they was standin’ together by the hatchway, and told ’em they must one of ’em take me. They laughed, I was in such a hurry, and said they couldn’t go; and I found they meant it and got sort of impatient when I began to talk, and I was ’most broken-hearted; ’twas all the reason I had for makin’ that hard voyage. Albert couldn’t help often reproachin’ me, for he did so resent the sea, an’ I’d known how ’twould be before we sailed; but I’d minded nothing all the way till then, and I just crep’ back to my cabin an’ begun to cry. They was disappointed about their ship’s cook, an’ I’d cooked for fo’c’s’le an’ cabin myself all the way over; ’twas dreadful hard work, specially in rough weather; we’d had head winds an’ a six weeks’ voyage. They’d acted sort of ashamed o’ me when I pled so to go ashore, an’ that hurt my feelin’s most of all. But Albert come below pretty soon; I’d never given way so in my life, an’ he begun to act frightened, and treated me gentle just as he did when we was goin’ to be married, an’ when I got over sobbin’ he went on deck and saw Horace an’ talked it over what they could do; they really had their duty to the vessel, and couldn’t be spared that day. Horace was real good when he understood everything, and he come an’ told me I’d more than worked my passage an’ was goin’ to do just as I liked now we was in port. He’d engaged a cook, too, that was comin’ aboard that mornin’, and he was goin’ to send the ship’s carpenter with me—a nice fellow from up Thomaston way; he’d gone to put on his ashore clothes as quick’s he could. So then I got ready, and we started off in the small boat and rowed up river. I was afraid we were too late, but the tide was setting up very strong, and we landed an’ left the boat to a keeper, and I run all the way up those great streets and across a park. ’Twas a great day, with sights o’ folks everywhere, but ’twas just as if they was nothin’ but wax images to me. I kep’ askin’ my way an’ runnin’ on, with the carpenter comin’ after as best he could, and just as I worked to the front o’ the crowd by the palace, the gates was flung open and out she came; all prancin’ horses and shinin’ gold, and in a beautiful carriage there she sat; ’twas a moment o’ heaven to me. I saw her plain, and she looked right at me so pleasant and happy, just as if she knew there was somethin’ different between us from other folks.”