第85章
"Would it, then, be cruel to wish you the wife of a quarter-master?""I have told you what I think on that subject, and can-not make my words stronger.Having answered you so frankly, Jasper, I have a right to ask how you know that my father thinks of any such thing?""That he has chosen a husband for you, I know from his own mouth; for he has told me this much during our frequent conversations while he has been superintending the shipment of the stores; and that Mr.Muir is to offer for you, I know from the officer himself, who has told me as much.By putting the two things together, I have come to the opinion mentioned.""May not my dear father, Jasper," -- Mabel's face glowed like fire while she spoke, though her words escaped her slowly, and by a sort of involuntary impulse, -- "may not my dear father have been thinking of another? It does not follow, from what you say, that Mr.Muir was in his mind.""Is it not probable, Mabel, from all that has passed?
What brings the Quartermaster here? He has never found it necessary before to accompany the parties that have gone below.He thinks of you for his wife; and your father has made up his own mind that you shall be so.You must see, Mabel, that Mr.Muir follows _you?_"Mabel made no answer.Her feminine instinct had, indeed, told her that she was an object of admiration with the Quartermaster; though she had hardly supposed to the extent that Jasper believed; and she, too, had even gathered from the discourse of her father that he thought seriously of having her disposed of in marriage; but by no process of reasoning could she ever have arrived at the inference that Mr.Muir was to be the man.She did not believe it now, though she was far from suspecting the truth.In-deed, it was her own opinion that these casual remarks of her father, which had struck her, had proceeded from a general wish to have her settled, rather than from any desire to see her united to any particular individual.These thoughts, however, she kept secret; for self-respect and feminine reserve showed her the impropriety of making them the subject of discussion with her present companion.
By way of changing the conversation, therefore, after the pause had lasted long enough to be embarrassing to both parties, she said, "Of one thing you may be certain, Jasper, - and that is all I wish to say on the subject, -- Lieutenant Muir, though he were a colonel, will never be the husband of Mabel Dunham.And now, tell me of your voyage; --when will it end?"
"That is uncertain.Once afloat, we are at the mercy of the winds and waves.Pathfinder will tell you that he who begins to chase the deer in the morning cannot tell where he will sleep at night.""But we are not chasing a deer, nor is it morning: so Pathfinder's moral is thrown away.""Although we are not chasing a deer, we are after that which may be as hard to catch.I can tell you no more than I have said already; for it is our duty to be close-mouthed, whether anything depends on it or not.I am afraid, however, I shall not keep you long enough in the _Scud_ to show you what she can do at need.""I think a woman unwise who ever marries a sailor,"said Mabel abruptly, and almost involuntarily.
"This is a strange opinion; why do you hold it?""Because a sailor's wife is certain to have a rival in his vessel.My uncle Cap, too, says that a sailor should never marry.""He means salt-water sailors," returned Jasper, laugh-ing."If he thinks wives not good enough for those who sail on the ocean, he will fancy them just suited to those who sail on the lakes.I hope, Mabel, you do not take your opinions of us fresh-water mariners from all that Master Cap says.""Sail, ho!" exclaimed the very individual of whom they were conversing; "or boat, ho! would be nearer the truth."Jasper ran forward; and, sure enough, a small object was discernible about a hundred yards ahead of the cutter, and nearly on her lee bow.At the first glance, he saw it was a bark canoe; for, though the darkness prevented hues from being distinguished, the eye that had become accus-tomed to the night might discern forms at some little dis-tance; and the eye which, like Jasper's, had long been familiar with things aquatic, could not be at a loss in dis-covering the outlines necessary to come to the conclusion he did.
"This may be an enemy," the young man remarked;"and it may be well to overhaul him."
"He is paddling with all his might, lad," observed the Pathfinder, "and means to cross your bows and get to windward, when you might as well chase a full-grown buck on snow-shoes!""Let her luff," cried Jasper to the man at the helm.
"Luff up, till she shakes.There, steady, and hold all that."The helmsman complied; and, as the _Scud_ was now dashing the water aside merrily, a minute or two put the canoe so far to leeward as to render escape impracticable.
Jasper now sprang to the helm himself and, by judicious and careful handling, he got so near his chase that it was secured by a boat-hook.On receiving an order, the two persons who were in the canoe left it, and no sooner had they reached the deck of the cutter than they were found to be Arrowhead and his wife.