"She'll have to do with a nurse." "You don't want to marry again?" "No." "That's a lie." Before Captain Runacles could resent this, the little man turned his back and took six paces to the party hedge and six paces back. "I say, Jemmy, do you think we could fight?" "Not decently." "I was thinking that. I don't see another way out of it, though." He kicked the plantain out of the ground, and, looking up, said very softly--"Meg's a widow." Captain Jeremy Runacles sat down on the rustic bench. A hot flush had sprung into his face and a light leapt in his eyes; but he said nothing. Captain Barker cocked his head on one side and went on-- "Yes, you lied, Jemmy. That fellow, as I guess, ran off and left her, finding that the old man had the courage to die without coming to reason. He went back to his regiment, sailed, and was drowned in a ditch. She's back at the old house, and in want." "You've seen her?" "Look here, Jemmy. You and I are a couple of tomfools; but we try to play fair." "Upon my soul, Jack," observed Captain Jemmy, rising to his feet again, "we can't fight. You're too good a fellow to kill." "H'mph, I was thinking that." As if by consent, the pair began to pace up and down the turf, one on either side of the gravelled path. At the end of three minutes Captain Jack looked up. "After all, you've been married once, whereas I--" "That doesn't count," the other interrupted. "I married in an unguarded moment. I was huffed with Meg." "No, I suppose it doesn't count." They resumed their walk. Captain Jemmy was the next to speak. "It seems to me Meg must decide." "Yes, but we must start fair." "The devil! we can't propose one in each ear. And if we race for it--" "You must give me half a mile's start." "But we can write." "Yes; and deliver our letters together at the door." "On the other hand, I've always heard that women look upon a written proposal of marriage as rather tame." "That objection would hardly apply to two in one day. And, besides, she knows about us." "We'll write," said Captain Jemmy. He went into the pavilion to search for pens and paper, while Captain Barker stepped down to the Fish and Anchor to borrow a bottle of ink. "There must be preliminaries," the little man observed, returning and setting the ink down in the centre of the rustic table, on which already lay a bundle of old quills and some quarto sheets of yellow paper. "As for instance?" "_Imprimis_, a thick folio book for me to sit on. The carpenter built this table after your measure." "I will fetch one." "Also more beer." "I will draw some." "Thirdly, a time-keeper. My stomach's empty, but it can hold out for another hour. We'll give ourselves an hour; start together and finish together."